(KPL) The government of Japan has provided grant assistance worth 265,971 US dollars for a pediatric project in Huaphan, a northern province of Laos.

The signing ceremony for the grant contract for this project was held at the Japanese Embassy, Vientiane, on January 30 between Mr. Kazuhiro Kuno, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of Japan to the Lao PDR, and Mr. Koichi Tamate Senior Project Officer of Médecins du Monde Japon (MdMJ), a Japanese non-profit organization, and witnessed by Mr. Phouzone Thammavixay, Vice Governor of Huaphan Province, and other representatives from line ministries.

The project, entitled "Enhancement of Pediatric Systems in Huaphan Province through Capacity Building of Health Personnel and of Village Health Promoters,” is in its second year and aims to contribute to reducing the mortality rates among children under five years old in Xone and Huameuang districts through realizing improved pediatric services at health facilities as well as improved villagers' understanding of issues related to children's health through Village Health Committees’ (VHCs) health promotion activities.

Through this project, pediatric training and on-site supervision will be conducted with the provincial/district staff to improve health examination skills for “Children Under 5 years old” (CU5), in parallel with the capacity-building activities of VHCs to promote accurate knowledge of CU5 health topics in the villages, as well as medical equipment distribution to meet service or health promotion needs at the village level.

MdM is a global network working with medical professionals in order to provide medical services to people whose access to medical services has been interrupted for whatever reasons, such as natural disasters, conflicts, or poverty.

KPL