Japan Donates Funds To Support Health Programs In Sudan

10 November 2010 – (Khartoum) – The Japanese Government has donated an amount of 10.3 million US dollars in support of health programs throughout Sudan for the year 2011.

The fund will support programs such as vaccination, infectious diseases prevention amongst children and maternal health care.

The Japanese ambassador to Sudan, Mister Akinori Wada speaking during the ceremony said the contribution from Japan was part of its government support to consolidate peace in Sudan.

[Akinori Wada]: “Grant assistance amounting to 10.3 million US dollars to our project aims at controlling child diseases such as polio, malaria and measles. For the Government of Japan, consolidation of peace is one of the main pillars of its foreign policy to Africa and it is one of the key areas of Japan’s assistance to Sudan. Sudan is a high priority country in Africa for Japan’s peace building efforts and in improving human security, Japan has been committed to humanitarian assistance and supported reconstruction and development of the Sudan. Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, the government of Japan extended grant assistance to Sudan over 480 million US dollars mainly through international organizations as well as JICA.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Minister of Health, Doctor Abdallah Tiya Juma stated that Sudan is committed to reduce the rate of infant and maternal mortality rates by the year 2015.

[Abdallah Tiya]: “I think one of the achievements of our collaborations is the result of our last health survey that shows a lot of achievements already taking place and that there is a decrease in the maternal mortality rate in some states and this is one of the good things and by this grant I think we will be able to continue to decrease the maternal and infant mortality rates until we reach seventy-five percent which we are already committed to reach by the year 2015.”

Japan’s contribution through a partnership with UNICEF, the Federal Ministry of Health and Japan International Cooperation Agency or JICA, targets over 11 million children and women across Sudan.