A warm welcome from the conference co-chairs:
　On behalf of the Japan Organizing Committee for All Together Better Health VI (ATBH VI) and InterEd, we invite you to join us at the sixth All Together Better Health Conference. ATBH VI will be held from 5-8 October 2012 in Kobe, Japan. This is the first time the All Together Better Health Conference will be held in Asia. It will also aim to recognize the rural, national, and global importance and scholarship in interprofessional learning and collaborative practice occurring in this region.
　The All Together Better Health conferences are the leading international interprofessional education and collaborative practice symposia. The fifth conference in the series was held in Australia in April 2010 and was hosted by Australasian Interprofessional Practice and Education Network (AIPPEN). The All Together Better Health conferences are supported by InterEd, the international association for Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice - a not-for-profit association.
　Globally, gaps and inequities in health within and between countries have become evident, and new infectious diseases and environmental and behavioral risks threaten health security. Most countries face severe shortage and inequitable distribution of health workers, especially for remote rural areas. Mismatch of competencies to patient and population needs, poor teamwork, and weak leadership are pointed out as problems. Interprofessional and trans-professional education that breaks down professional silos while enhancing collaborative and non-hierarchical relationships in effective teams play a role in overcoming the problems.
　WHO has recently published a framework for action on interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative practice. The report recognizes that present and future health workforces are tasked with providing health-services in the face of increasingly complex health issues, and it states that opportunities to gain interprofessional experience help students learn the skills needed to become part of a collaborative practice-ready health workforce. In the conference, we will welcome the implementation of The Sydney Interprofessional Declaration and we hope many will participate in the development and implementation of the Declaration before and during the conference.
　Nowadays, more and more institutions are developing IPE activities and collaborative practice initiatives. IPE and collaborative practice require global evidence for their effectiveness. Much has been published on these subjects, but mainly from the UK and Northern Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It, however, has not been possible to draw general inferences. Asian countries, including Japan, have produced relatively few researches, despite many medical and educational institutions and healthcare professionals having noted the significance of IPE and collaborative practice. This might be due to language barriers, but we do welcome English presentations by those without English as their mother language.
　ATBH VI offers an exciting opportunity for Asian people to engage with international health professionals and educators. At the conference we hope to share the experience to explore new horizons in terms of diversity and quality in interprofessional learning and collaborative practice around world.
　Kobe is both a modern and traditional Japanese city. There should be something to find and enjoy for everyone in this international city. We hope to see you here.

Co-chairs: Yuichi Ishikawa & Hideomi Watanabe
July 2011