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Japan Signs Two Agreements for Health Services, Eradication of Polio in Afghanistan
The Japan Embassy in Kabul has signed two agreements with the UNICEF and UNDP and donated 17.7 million USD to provide life-saving vaccines for children and promote rural development in border areas in Afghanistan.
The embassy announced, “the new projects are to help eradicate polio and prevent the spread of other deceases in Afghanistan, and to improve the livelihood in Tajik-Afghan cross-border areas for improvement of self-reliance and stability of the region.”
The projects approximately worth $8.6 million and $9.1 million, respectively, will help to procure the vaccines to protect 10.3 million children against polio, reach 1.37 million children with routine immunization and 2.5 million women of child bearing age in Afghanistan, and improve the livelihood of 1.8 million people living in border districts in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
In the UNICEF’s Project “Infectious Diseases Prevention for Children in Afghanistan” (USD 8.6m), the contribution from the people of Japan will be used to procure routine vaccines for an annual cohort of some 1.37 million children under the age of one.
The vaccines include BCG against tuberculosis, Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) for poliomyelitis, Meals vaccine and Hepatitis B.
In addition, some 2.5 million women of child-bearing age will benefit from the purchase of Tetanus Toxoid vaccine. These vaccines will be available for free at all health facilities and through the polio campaign.
At the signing ceremony, Ferozudin Feroz, Minister of Public Health said, “With continued support from the Government of Japan, we have succeeded in ensuring the provision of health services including the immunization services for the children and mothers of Afghanistan. We assure you that we will maintain our focus on routine immunization as one of the key pillars for stopping the circulation of the polio virus in Afghanistan. We hope that you will continue to keep routine immunization in Afghanistan as one of your top priorities, and I wish to thank you in advance for your future support to the Routine Immunization Programme in Afghanistan.”
The UNDP’s Project“Livelihood Improvement in Tajik-Afghan Cross-Border Areas (LITACA) Phase II” (USD 9.1 M) will be built on the past achievements of LITACA Phase I, which was also funded by the Government of Japan.
The project aims to improve living standards of the people in six districts in four provinces in Afghanistan (Shahr-e-buzurg District in Badakhshan Province, Cha Ab, Yang-e-Qala and Dasht-e-Qala Districts in Takhar Province, Imam Sahib District of Kunduz Province, and Khulm District of Balkh province) and eight districts in Khatlon Province in Tajikistan.
Furthermore, the project intends to promote stability and security of these cross-border areas, by ensuring self-reliance of the local people, reducing poverty, supporting economic development of the regions and encouraging cross-border collaboration among the communities. LITACA II will be implemented in line with the Citizen’s Charter of the Government of Afghanistan.
Japan has been assisting Afghanistan’s nation-building efforts in various fields including security, infrastructure, agriculture, rural development, human capacity development, education, health, culture and humanitarian assistance. The cumulative Japanese assistance to Afghanistan since 2001 amounts to $6.4 billion.
Edited by: Muhammad ZackArya
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Thursday met with Iranian Deputy Justice Minister Askar Jalalian in Kabul, where they discussed refugees, prisoners, economic and political cooperation.
Muttaqi, while appreciating Iran’s hosting of Afghan refugees for four decades, called on Tehran to treat refugees well and be patient towards them, Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
He also said that the Islamic Emirate is committed to cooperate with Iran in relation to the repatriation of Afghan prisoners, asking the Iranian Deputy Minister of Justice to cooperate fully in this regard.
According to the statement, Iran's deputy justice minister said Tehran was following recent developments in Afghanistan and was pleased with the stability.
He added that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its cooperation and, based on the agreements reached, will transfer Afghan prisoners in the near future.
Russia and Pakistan urged "enhanced" coordination among regional countries Thursday for a "peaceful and prosperous" Afghanistan, according to a statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
The call was made during a meeting between Russian Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch in Islamabad where the two sides exchanged views on relations with Afghanistan.
Kabulov arrived in Islamabad for a visit earlier in the day.
A Qatari aircraft carrying medical aid and four ambulances touched down on Thursday at Kabul Airport.
The aid, provided by Qatar Fund for Development, was received by Deputy Minister of Public Health Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat and Qatar's Acting Chargé d'Affaires to Afghanistan Mirdef bin Ali Al Qashouti, Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement.
"This aid comes within the framework of the State of Qatar's efforts and its firm commitment to providing support and standing by the brotherly Afghan people, and providing them with their urgent and necessary needs," the statement said.
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