Japanese assistance in Indonesia Bird Flu Monitoring

[Shiloh]

Source: http://mainichi.jp/select/science/news/20081015ddm012040002000c.html

Google translation from Japanese:

Pandemic flu: ministry sent a doctor to monitor development in Indonesia

Outbreak of avian flu in Indonesia is concerned, the patient surveillance system to monitor development projects to support the launch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the new flu, the patient overseas for the first time in threatening measures. International Medical Center of Japan (Tokyo), 20 doctors, dispatched to the scene. International contributions, as well as practical experience in the region occur when domestic support is aimed to take advantage. Jin慈] [Kanto

Indonesia received a request from the Ministry of Health, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for about 380 million yen in official development assistance (ODA) to use the country's Central Sulawesi province in the south for three years to implement.

According to the World Health Organization, Indonesia in July 2005, to-human infection of bird flu was confirmed for the first time. September 10, the current death toll of 112 people, about half of the world of the dead.

In particular, South Sulawesi, a rash of bird flu outbreaks. Most of the population and a strategic point for traffic to increase the risk of pandemic.

However, the country's surveillance system is immature. The first cases of bird flu, was able to identify the virus that causes about three months later. Surveillance guidelines created in 2006, but the scene in charge of cooperation with education and does not work.

Under the plan, five doctors and staff from Japan to dispatch one. The state's 20 counties and three in the survey team deployed to the city, in conjunction with the health center to monitor the patient occurs, establish a system to share information. After the project expanded to all 33 states. Go as chief advisor of the Center for International Medical Doctors Takanori Hirayama (33), "the Japanese in Indonesia in early detection to reduce the number of victims is essential," he said.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Japanese assistance in Indonesia Bird Flu Monitoring

Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20081015p2a00m0na007000c.html

Japan to send medics to Indonesia to monitor new flu outbreaks

The government will dispatch a medical team to Indonesia to start monitoring possible outbreaks of a new type of influenza.

The Foreign Ministry will send five doctors and one medical worker from the International Medical Center of Japan to Indonesia on Oct. 20 in an attempt to survey new cases of flu as part of a project to support Indonesia's medical surveillance system.

It will be the first time for Japan to combat new flu viruses by seeing patients overseas. The dispatch is aimed not only at making an international contribution but also at applying field experience gained overseas to domestic cases.

Under the project, which comes in response to a request by Indonesia's Ministry of Health, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will conduct medical surveillance in southern Sulawesi in central Indonesia for three years, using about 380 million yen from Japan's ODA budget.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), human transmission of bird flu was first confirmed in Indonesia in July 2005. The national death toll from avian flu rose to 112 as of Sept. 10 this year, comprising about half the fatalities worldwide.

However, the medical surveillance system in Indonesia has not been working sufficiently. It wasn't until three months later that the causal virus was determined in the first avian flu case. Although guidelines for surveillance were drawn up in 2006, the system is not functioning well amid insufficient education of and lack of cooperation with local medical staff.

With a large population and key traffic junctions, southern Sulawesi has been home to mass outbreaks of avian flu and could be an epicenter of an even wider spread of new flu viruses.

Under the latest project, surveillance teams will be set up in 20 prefectures and three cities in Sulawesi to monitor the outbreak of flu patients in conjunction with local public health centers, while sharing information with these institutions. After the project is completed, the surveillance system will be expanded to cover all 33 provinces in Indonesia.

"Early detection (of avian flu) in Indonesia is essential in reducing the damage in Japan," said Takanori Hirayama, 33, a doctor from the International Medical Center of Japan, who will join the medical team as chief adviser.