What do they mean, G-8? In fact at least 23 countries are represented among the dignitaries rushing around here at today's opening session of the Group of Eight, a recognition that many world issues are beyond even the power of the eight most powerful world economies.   

Africa's problems were Monday's focus: Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania took part in discussions on development assistance and soaring food prices. On Wednesday, the focus will be Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico and South Africa, who will join the G-8 for talks at their island conference venue. In between, the main Group of Eight will confer, and most of their discussions will be broadcast live to us NGOs milling about here at a stunning ski resort about 45 minutes away.  

The setting is breathtaking, amid steep mountains that vanish into the clouds, with events spread out among distant buildings. But it's all green now, the breadbasket of the country, and it's early spring crop time: Lunch choices involved sugar snap peas, asparagus, berries, lovely cheeses and 11 soft ice cream flavors, including purple sweet potato. That's high on my list of things to try. And of course there's riot squads and padded wagons too numerous to count. Camouflage helicopters buzz in and out with VIPs, limousines hover and police are visible everywhere. 

Sarah Brown, the wife of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and Kiyoko Fukuda, wife of the Japanese Prime Minister, had us to tea at the British embassy in Tokyo on Saturday afternoon: Japanese dignitaries, the health and population community, and other international visitors, some of whom were in Japan for the G-8 meetings. It was very hot and humid but we got cucumber sandwiches and enormously enthusiastic support for our health agenda from all present.

Mrs. Brown praised Family Care International, Oxfam and White Ribbon Alliance as the engines behind the success so far in landing maternal health high on the agenda, and said she would spend her entire time here working on the issue. Mrs. Fukuda focused more on MDG 4, children's health. It is really energizing to have their warmth and support. 

There's a so-called People's Summit 2008 in Sapporo, about 50 km. west of here, where alternative views are being aired by NGOs, anti-Iraq-war demonstrators, and anti-globalization groups as well as farmers, students, and union activists. They had a peaceful Peace Walk on Sunday, where Oxfam representatives dressed up in kimonos as the G-8 leaders and did a karaoke rendition of Abba's "Money, Money, Money."  

Attention is being paid to all this - nearly 3,000 journalists are covering the G-8 from a media center set up at a ski resort in Rusutsu; 30 of them for every one of the 100 or so NGO representatives. Pretty good odds, for once! 

Hard work starts Tuesday 

The draft final communiqué is expected to come out Tuesday, and the buzz is all about the new order in the health section: it usually starts with a discussion of infectious diseases, but this year Section A will focus on the need to strengthen health systems worldwide. This is very different and a major step forward (the hope is they'll call for 2.3 workers per 1,000 people and a global investment of $60 billion). Following this - Section B - focuses on maternal, newborn and child health; also a first and a real triumph in being spotlighted this way.  

We hear that the United States delegation wanted to eliminate any reference to reproductive health services, in their usual opposition to the International Conference on Population and Development goals, and that the European countries, especially Germany, led the resistance, so that this critical language is still in the draft. I'll keep you posted.  

Infectious disease is the focus of Section C, which also emphasizes the need for a cross-sectoral approach, noting the interrelationship of all the MDGs and the importance of gender issues.  

So far, the communique's final paragraph (#30) says the G-8 "also recognizes that for progress to be made on maternal, reproductive and child health, and emerging and neglected health priorities, additional resources-from both domestic and international sources-are needed if the health MDGs are to be achieved..." 

The NGO health group here has designed a clever scorecard to evaluate what happens on our global health issues in terms of numerical targets, financial commitments and plans, timelines and actions. We'll be giving out grades as soon as the conference ends Wednesday - so stay tuned.