US, Japan Tackle Diseases, Maternal Health

National health programs combating such infectious diseases as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria will receive more from the US and Japan.

A joint US-Japan mission on health and population, led by Kinichi Komano, program director for the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s economic cooperation bureau, announced that the two countries would maximize their efforts  in the areas of infectious diseases and maternal and child health care. The mission will develop more detailed projects out of a working paper signed by the US Agency for International Development and the Japan International Cooperation Agen­cy, Komano said.

“We fully appreciate initiatives taken by the Cambodian government,” Komano said, applauding  government efforts to have set up national strategies and projects to fight against HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases. “Japan and the US would like to support implementation of those programs, bringing them from plans to action.”

In Cambodia, about 180,000 peop­le, or 3.7 percent of the adult population, are estimated to be infected with HIV/AIDS. Every year about 10,000 get tuberculosis, while malaria is another major cause of death among Cambodian adults.

“The ratios of HIV, tuberculosis and malaria are the highest in the region. The situation is very serious and urgent,” said Kom­ano. “Strategies and planning are well done, but they need more human resources and funds.”

The two countries plan to expand HIV awareness and prevention activities, strengthen links between NGOs and the goverment projects in tuberculosis and support malaria control activities. The National Medical Training School and the National Safe Motherhood Initiatives will also be strengthened.

Cambodia is the third country selected for the US-Japan Joint Aid for Global Issues, launched in 1993 by US President Bill Clinton and then-Japan Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa, according to the mission.

The first two nations helped were Zambia and Bangladesh.

“We are happy to see a strong commitment from the US and Japan,” said Mam Bun Hng, secretary of state for the Health Ministry. He said the aid would help the country’s national projects reach into every commune.