MANILA, Philippines - The Japanese government on Thursday gave the Philippines a major boost in its efforts to fight tuberculosis in depressed areas of Metro Manila.
A statement from the Japanese Embassy said that a $171,060 (P7.2-million) grant will be released by Japan and that the amount would come from its Official Development Assistance (ODA).
The grant is expected to be used for the Philippines' "Stop TB Para sa Lahat" program.
Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura and Maho Suzuki, representing Dr. Eiichi Nakamura, President of the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association (JATA), signed the grant contract for the Tuberculosis Control Project in Urban Poor Area in Metro Manila.
The signing at the Japanese embassy aims to benefit some 440,000 urban low-income residents of Payatas in Quezon City and Tondo, Manila.
"The Philippines remains to be burdened by the tuberculosis disease and ranks the ninth among the 22 countries hampered by this life-threatening communicable disease. It also ranks the third of high TB incidence in the Western Pacific Region," the Japanese embassy said.
It added the fight against this disease continues to be a major global health concern.
The Direct Observed Treatment, Short Course (DOTS) is the core strategy of TB therapy and the Philippines has already acquir ed the WHO standard for this treatment.
However, the Japanese embassy said the prevalence rate of TB continues to be relatively high especially in urban unhygienic or slum areas.
It attributed these to problems such as inaccessibility for health workers to enter these areas, insufficient facilities for TB treatment, and discontinued treatment due to frequent relocation of patients.
"the past 15 years, the Research Institute for Tuberculosis/JATA has contributed in curbing the spread of TB in various areas in the Philippines through the JICA technical cooperation scheme. This new project aims to improve TB control through quality assurance of TB DOTS, network s with stakeholders involved in TB containment and advocacy activities for target beneficiaries, in partnership with Philippine NGOs," it said.
The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects was launched in 2002 to enhance cooperation between the Japanese government and NGOs in the implementation of ODA to promote effective and efficient aid for developing countries.
In the Philippines, 12 projects in various sectors worth approximately P40 million have been funded by this program. - GMANews.TV