JAPAN PROVIDES 3.7 billion Zambian Kwacha to Japanese NGO

 

 

On 24th February, the Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Akio EGAWA, signed on behalf of the Government of Japan, a grant contract with Mr. Shunsuke Suzuki, the Representative of the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia -Multisectoral and Integrated Development Services, under the Japanese Grant Assistance for Japanese NGOs scheme.

The contract, amounting to 710,189 United States dollars, or approximately 3.7 billion Zambian Kwacha, was signed with the Association to facilitate the implementation of the TB Control Project with Focus on Childhood TB in Lusaka City, Phase 2, a community-based comprehensive project to tackle tuberculosis (TB) in George, Matero Main, Matero Reference, Kanyama, Makeni, Chawama, with particular attention paid to children exposed to the risk of contracting TB and those at risk of TB infection. The project activities include awareness-raising on childhood TB, strengthening of referral system, transport service to health institutions, strengthening Directly-Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) to children with TB, training of health volunteers, among others. The activities of this project are aligned with the Japanese Assistance Strategy to Zambia, as well as with the health sector priorities being implemented by the Zambian Government.

The Government of Japan appreciates the commendable and complementary role being played by the Association in ZAMBIA, or by ZAMINDS as it is called here in Zambia in addressing TB at community level, in collaboration with Lusaka District Health Management Team. Furthermore, the Government of Japan is mindful of the critical role the TB Control Project with Focus on Childhood TB in Lusaka City is expected to play in improving the welfare and productivity of people affected by TB in the project areas. With this in mind, the Government of Japan has agreed to extend financial assistance to the organization to enable it to implement the said Project. All the projects being implemented by the Association are based on requests by the Lusaka District Health Management Team AIDS/STD/TB and Leprosy Department.

The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects is a scheme for providing Japanese government funds for economic and social development projects undertaken by Japanese NGOs in developing countries and regions. The aim of this scheme is to provide timely and direct support to Japanese NGOs involved in community development, primary health care, education, poverty relief and support for the less privileged people. The Embassy of Japan has rendered support to the Association’s projects as follows:

  1. Project for the Construction of the Matero Community Health Post in 2003

  2. Project for the Strengthening of TB Control Measures in Lusaka City in 2008.

  3. TB Control Project with Focus on Childhood TB in Lusaka City, Phase 1 in 2011

It is hoped that the activities of the Association will continuously contribute towards the well-being of the vulnerable people in Zambia, and further contribute to strengthening the cordial relations that exist between the people of Japan and the people of Zambia.

 

To read speech by Ambassador Egawa at this ceremony, please click here.

 


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