Health promotion guidelines revised: secondary prevention for cancer, women's health issues and dental disease now written inThe national rules that protect the health of working people have been updated
On October 19, 2026 (Reiwa 8), the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare issued a public notice revising the Guidelines for Maintaining and Promoting the Health of Workers in Workplaces, which rest on Article 70-2, paragraph 1 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (Public Notice of Guidelines for Health Maintenance and Promotion No. 13). Alongside primary prevention, which has centred on preventing lifestyle-related disease, the guidelines now clearly position secondary prevention as a health maintenance and promotion measure: encouraging workers to undergo screening and detailed examinations for cancer, women's health issues, dental disease, osteoporosis and eye disease. The notice applies from the same day, October 19, 2026.
Key points
- Both the date of the notice and the date of application are October 19, 2026. The basis is Article 70-2, paragraph 1 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (Act No. 57 of 1972), and it was issued in the name of Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno
- Alongside primary prevention (preventing the onset of disease by improving lifestyle habits), secondary prevention (early detection and early treatment of disease through health checkups and the like) is now clearly positioned in the guidelines as a health maintenance and promotion measure
- The secondary prevention set out covers encouraging screening and detailed examinations for cancer, women's health issues (irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhoea, heavy menstrual bleeding, premenstrual syndrome, menopausal disorders and the like), dental disease, osteoporosis and eye disease
- Coordination with medical insurers and support for balancing treatment with continued employment are now written into the guidelines
- The text of the guidelines and a comparison table of the old and new provisions were released together with the notice
What to do in practice
- Use the comparison table of old and new provisions to check whether anything is missing from your own health promotion efforts, such as encouraging follow-up examinations after a health checkup
- Consider how to work with the health programmes run by medical insurers such as a health insurance society or the Japan Health Insurance Association
- Review the in-house procedures that support employees who work while receiving treatment
Companies have rules about helping the people who work for them keep from getting ill. On October 19, 2026, the government updated those rules. Until now the main idea was to live in a way that keeps you from getting ill. From now on, finding illness early and treating it early is included too. Encouraging workers to get checked for cancer, for health issues that only women have, and for their teeth, bones and eyes is now written down as something companies should do.
- 1. Take careKeep from getting ill through food and exercise
- 2. Find it earlyEncourage checkups for cancer, teeth, bones and eyes
- 3. Treat it earlyEncourage detailed examinations and treatment
- 4. Keep workingHelp people keep working while receiving treatment
Points
- The day the rules were updated is October 19, 2026, and they are already in use from that day
- Not only keeping people from getting ill, but also finding illness early with a checkup and treating it early, is now part of what companies do
- Working together with the bodies that run health insurance, and helping people keep working while they receive treatment, are also written down
What the words mean
- Primary prevention
- Being careful about food and exercise so that you do not get ill
- Secondary prevention
- Finding illness early with a checkup and treating it early
- Guidelines
- Rules in which the government shows what it is good to do
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW): MHLW: Public notice on the Guidelines for Maintaining and Promoting the Health of Workers in Workplaces
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.