Category: Embassies

Islamabad, March 02, 2018 (PPI-OT): The Government of Japan has announced today that they will be providing 3.2 million US dollars for the procurement of equipment to the Regional Reference Laboratory for polio eradication, located in the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad.

With the procurement of state-of-the-art molecular-biology equipment including genetic analysers, real time PCR machines, incubators and freezers, among others, the laboratory will significantly enhance its sample processing capacity. Through this new equipment, the RRL will improve the speed of the results reported from stool samples it receives, of people suffering from acute flaccid paralysis, in addition to samples taken from the sewage in areas identified as being at risk of polio. In 2017 alone, the RRL tested 30,000 stool samples and 950 environmental samples coming from both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In addition, the Japanese grant will be used to replace aging stocks of cold chain materials, reagents and other essential equipment needed to be able to accurately isolate and identify the wild polio virus from the stool and environmental samples. In an event hosted by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the notes corresponding to this grant were officially signed by the representatives of the Government of Japan, Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Federal Minister of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar said: “The steady support of the Government of Japan and other partners, and the strong partnership have been crucial elements of the programme’s tremendous progress over the past two years. The new grant will help strengthen polio surveillance through adaptation of new technology and contribute towards polio eradication in the country.”

H.E. Mr. Takashi Kurai, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan said: “Maintaining the strong polio surveillance system that has been established in Pakistan remains critical for eradication work. We are pleased to be a part of this honourable initiative. However, in order to eradicate polio altogether from Pakistan, it’s not sufficient to promote vaccination activities. We should also address the unawareness of the matter among the people and the need for building up of the necessary infrastructure for enhancing the activities. Japan will continue to support Pakistan for polio eradication from a wider perspective in order to achieve the complete eradication of polio.”

Mr. Yasuhiro Tojo, Chief Representative, JICA Pakistan office said: “JICA is supporting polio program and routine immunization since 1996 and 2001 respectively”. He further added: “I sincerely believe that through the concerted implementation of this grant aid, the polio surveillance system will progress across the provinces and districts. This will improve the routine immunization situation in the country including polio that will help the government of Pakistan not only to eradicate polio but also to sustain polio-free Pakistan after eradication.”

Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Programme has come a long way toward building a future in which polio no longer endangers children, families, and communities across the country. Only eight polio cases were recorded in 2017, compared to 20 in 2016 and 54 in 2015. “Japan’s support comes during a critical time when the role of polio surveillance, particularly a well-functioning laboratory, is more important than ever,” said Mr. Christopher Maher, Polio Eradication and Emergency Support Manager, WHO.

The Government of Japan has supported the Polio Eradication Initiative in Pakistan since 1996. Approximately 24 billion Yen (224 million US dollars), including this grant of 3.2 million US dollars has been given to Pakistan to strengthen the Polio Eradication Programme and curb this crippling disease.

For more information, contact:
Embassy of Japan
53-70, Ramna 5/4, Diplomatic Enclave 1
Islamabad 44000
Pakistan (P.O. Box 1119, Islamabad, Pakistan)
Tel: +92-51-9072500
Fax: +92-51-9072352
Email: culture@ib.mofa.go.jp
http://www.pk.emb-japan.go.jp

Islamabad, February 28, 2018 (PPI-OT): The Government of Japan has decided to provide four ambulances and financial assistance of $71,501 to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) – one of the largest humanitarian organizations working across the country, aiming to further enhance its outreach capacity and coverage to provide emergency assistance in the wake of unexpected calamities and emergencies.

Agreement for this project was signed on February 28, 2018 between the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Takashi Kurai and Chairman of the PRCS, Dr. Saeed Elahi, at the residence of Ambassador in Islamabad. Mayor of Islamabad, Sheikh Anser Aziz also attended the signing ceremony.

Under the said agreement, the Government of Japan will donate four ambulances to PRCS to operate in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. In addition to the ambulances, a grant of $71,501 will be utilized for transportation cost of ambulances from Japan to Pakistan, their re-conditioning, installation of first aid equipment as well as training of PRCS staff in Islamabad. These four re-conditioned and fully equipped ambulances will sufficiently add up PRCS outreach capacity and coverage in twin cities in the wake of unexpected calamities and emergencies.

While speaking at the occasion of agreement signing ceremony, Mr. Takashi Kurai, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, wished to share joy with PRCS of receiving the grant. He expressed his hope that the addition of four ambulances to the PRCS fleet will enable the organization to even more quickly respond to emergencies and outreach the people who are in immediate need of first aid. Japan will continue to support the people of Pakistan to improve their living standards”, said Ambassador Kurai.

At the signing, Chairman of PRCS, Dr. Saeed Elahi while expressing his views highly appreciated the assistance provided by the Government of Japan for improving the operational capabilities of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society. He thanked the Embassy of Japan for extending this helping hand to effectively address the calamities and emergencies in the twin cities.

For more information, contact:
Embassy of Japan
53-70, Ramna 5/4, Diplomatic Enclave 1
Islamabad 44000
Pakistan (P.O. Box 1119, Islamabad, Pakistan)
Tel: +92-51-9072500
Fax: +92-51-9072352
Email: culture@ib.mofa.go.jp
http://www.pk.emb-japan.go.jp

Islamabad, February 27, 2018 (PPI-OT): The Government of Japan today announced funding the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to implement 2 projects worth around 2.7 million USD and 5.0 million USD respectively for the enhancement of Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) control and the second phase of restoration of the livelihoods in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

Notes to this effect were signed and exchanged today between H.E. Mr. Takashi Kurai, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan and Ms. Mina Dowlatchahi, FAO Representative in Pakistan in the presence of H.E. Mr. Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, Federal Minister of National Food Security and Research. A Grant Agreement on the details of implementation of the project was signed and exchanged between Mr. Yasuhiro Tojo, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Ms. Dowlatchahi at the same ceremony.

FMD is a highly contagious disease of cloven footed animals that threatens food security and the livelihoods of smallholders and prevents livestock sector from achieving its economic potential. Milk production may drop 50 to 70 % and mortality of young calves reaches 10 to 22 %. If these losses are interpolated into livestock population, it results into hundreds of million dollars per annum.

The project will significantly improve the FMD outbreaks surveillance and rapid response mechanism for disease control and reduce the incidence of FMD outbreaks in the country. This will help curtail the losses caused by the disease and improve productivity of livestock contributing to food security and improve resilience of livelihood of livestock farmers to animal disease threats.

FATA has been severely affected by unrest and military operations over the last decade. In 2015, Japan also funded 5 million USD for the first phase of the project, and FAO successfully supported approximately 77,000 households to resume agricultural production that helped improve food security and livelihoods. In the second phase of the same project, Government of Japan through FAO will provide support to about 32,000 households in the two targeted agencies of FATA, Kurram and Khyber.

The project will help reduce poverty and promote economic opportunities in the region through agriculture development which will support stabilization and economic growth in the area. This project is in line with the “FATA Sustainable Return and Rehabilitation Strategy”, launched by FATA Secretariat and implemented in collaboration with UN agencies and donor countries including Japan.

Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Mr. Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said Government of Pakistan considers agriculture as a key area of focus to ensure food security for all segments of the society. A growing agriculture sector not only plays a vital role in boosting national economy but also reducing poverty and improving access to food. For improving nutrition diversification of agriculture by enhanced focus on high value horticulture, livestock and fisheries is main thrust ofnew “Agriculture and Food Security Policy“.

H.E. Mr. Takashi Kurai said: “Agriculture sector is a vital component of Pakistan’s economy and its steady growth is a prerequisite for the overall developments of the country. So I believe that these 2 projects will not only contribute to the improvement of production of agricultural goods but also to the socioeconomic development in Pakistan.”

Mr. Yasuhiro Tojo said that project would make a significant contribution toward stabilization of the area and essentially focus on agribusiness and value chain development to boost commercial agriculture in FATA. Furthermore, the project will be expected to facilitate women participation in various interventions, particularly in homestead poultry, kitchen gardening and food and grain storage/preservation.

Thanking the government of Japan for its financial assistance, Ms. Mina Dowlatchahi said “These projects will cover important areas of interventions for the FATA Transition Plan. These interventions will contribute to the development of the agricultural sector in FATA region by improving food security, boosting economic activities and markets and as a result help achieve peace and security in the area. The FMD project emphasizes the importance of animal health as part of the One Health agenda, which is crucial for addressing food insecurity, improving nutrition and rural livelihoods that are dependent on livestock.”

For more information, contact:
Embassy of Japan
53-70, Ramna 5/4, Diplomatic Enclave 1
Islamabad 44000
Pakistan (P.O. Box 1119, Islamabad, Pakistan)
Tel: +92-51-9072500
Fax: +92-51-9072352
Email: culture@ib.mofa.go.jp
http://www.pk.emb-japan.go.jp

Islamabad, February 19, 2018 (PPI-OT): The Government of Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) today signed an agreement to launch a US$ 3.9 million initiative aiming to empower more than 20,000 youth in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces. This initiative will help improve employment prospects and promote social cohesion through positive interactions amongst young people in deprived communities, helping them participate actively in the socioeconomic development of Pakistan.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Ignacio Artaza, Country Director UNDP Pakistan, said: “The challenges posed by the ‘youth bulge’ in Pakistan are immense. Almost 1.8 million jobs are required every year to absorb the growing number of young people entering the job market. The youth represent the future of Pakistan, and this is a tremendous opportunity for which we are thankful to the Government of Japan. Thanks to this support, we aim to provide jobs for young Pakistanis.”

Mr Takashi Kurai, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, said: “Pakistan’s population is very young and ensuring job opportunities and income for youth is critical for development of Pakistan. Japan will continue to support youth and young women so that they can take the lead in development of this country which has bright future with young population.”

The Youth Empowerment in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Project will provide opportunities that increase young people’s employment prospects and enhance social cohesion in areas that currently have limited scope for social and economic engagement. Youth-friendly community spaces will be developed to promote interactions between young people, and youth from underdeveloped areas will receive demand-driven skills trainings to help them gain productive employment in local industries.

About 31 percent of Pakistan’s population of 207.7 million comprises young people aged 15 to 29 years. With a youth unemployment rate of 10.8 percent, it is crucial to invest in this “youth bulge” and provide young people with the skills and knowledge they need to operate in an increasingly competitive employment market, and to help Pakistan’s youthful population to contribute to its sustainable development.

This project aligns with the Government of Pakistan’s Vision 2025 Roadmap and is an important step in helping Pakistan achieve its Sustainable Development Goals to engage young people, provide economic growth, productive employment and decent work for all, and to create just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

The Youth Empowerment in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Project builds on previous collaborations between UNDP and the Government of Japan that have supported the people of Pakistan in responding to a host of development challenges, from relief and rehabilitation work in FATA to electoral reform at the national level.

For more information, contact:
Embassy of Japan
53-70, Ramna 5/4, Diplomatic Enclave 1
Islamabad 44000
Pakistan (P.O. Box 1119, Islamabad, Pakistan)
Tel: +92-51-9072500
Fax: +92-51-9072352
Email: culture@ib.mofa.go.jp
http://www.pk.emb-japan.go.jp