The World Health Organization has asked Japan to prioritize the battle against infectious and parasitic diseases by placing the topic high on the agenda for the Group of Eight summit in Okinawa this summer, government sources said Monday.

The request was made in a letter from Gro Harlem Brundtland, WHO director general, to Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, which was delivered at the beginning of this month. WHO is a Geneva-based body affiliated with the United Nations.

Obuchi will chair the three-day Okinawa summit of leaders from the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Russia. The meeting begins July 21.