Grassroots Human Security Grant Aid to Iraq (Governorate of Al-Muthanna including Samawah)

September 26, 2005

1. The Government of Japan has decided to extend a grassroots human security grant aid covering the four projects below and totaling about 2,410,000 dollars (about 258 million yen) to the Governorate of Al-Muthanna in the southern part of Iraq in order to contribute to the improvement of the medical care system and the restoration of its examination and treatment functions.
   
   (1) Project for Improvement of Chest Diseases and anti-Tuberculosis Center: up to $796,100
   (2) Project for Improvement of Allergy and Asthma Center: up to $740,562
   (3) Project for Improvement of Special Center for Dental Care: up to $335,108
   (4) Project for Improvement of Medical Instruments for Central Health Laboratory: up to $547,500
2. A signing ceremony for the grant contract of the above four projects was held at the Chest Diseases and anti-Tuberculosis Center in the Governorate of Al-Muthanna on September 25 (Sun). Mr. Hiroyasu Kobayashi, Chief of the Liaison Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan in Samawah, Mr. Tsuyoshi Saito, Commander of the Task Planning and Liaison Unit of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces (JGSDR), and others involved attended from Japan; and Deputy Governor of Al-Muthanna, Director of the Health Department of the Governorate, a representative of each of the medical clinics and medical experts concerned of the Governorate, and others attended from Iraq.
3. Medical institutions in Iraq are suffering from system failure. In the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, for example, a lack of medical equipment and materials desperately impoverishes the medical system, making the provision of appropriate medical services difficult. The Governorate is therefore in need of emergency assistance to improve its medical system.
   
   Each clinic to receive the aid is the only specialized medical institution that provides services in treating tuberculosis, asthma and allergies and dentistry, and this assistance is to help restore the specialized treatment for these diseases.
   
   The Central Health Laboratory is also the only checking institute in the Governorate concerning infectious diseases, food sanitation and environmental hygiene. As its function will recover with this aid, the public health of the Governorate is expected to improve.
4. This assistance is expected to create more synergy among the emergency assistance projects such as the Project for Rehabilitation of Four General Hospitals in the Southern Region of Iraq including the Samawah General Hospital and the Project for Provision of Equipment to Primary Health Centers in the Governorate of Al-Muthanna. Japan has been extending assistance to these projects. Such synergy is also expected in projects carried out with grassroots human security grant aid in medicine and public health, as well as the humanitarian and reconstruction activities provided by the JGSDF in the medical field.

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