50th Anniversary (Golden Jubilee) of Japan's Assistance for Economic Development and Co-Operation for Eradication of Diseases. (2004-17)

Pakistan enjoys cordial friendly relations with Japan. Japan's economic assistance has played a very important role in the development of Pakistan's economic and social infrastructure. The major projects, which have been funded by the Government of Japan, include the Indus Highway Project, a number of power projects in various provinces of Pakistan, Rural Roads Construction Project and the Children Hospital PIMS lslamabad Project. Presently the Kohat Tunnel Project and the Ghazi Barotha Dam Project are being completed with the help of the Japanese.

The Government of Japan is also working for Polio eradication and training of handicapped in Pakistan. Detailed description about Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project, Kohat Tunnel construction project, Polio eradication and Training of handicapped is given below:-

Ghazi Barotba Hydropower Project

Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project is a new hydropower plant with a capacity of 1,450 MW (290 mw x5), aiming to meet the power generation gap in the country and balance the generation source between hydro and thermal. This project consists of a barrage at 7 km downstream of the Tarbela Dam, which is diverting water from the Indus River into power channel of about 52 km distance leading to power house. The total project cost is about 260 billion Japanese yen.

Kohat Tunnel Project

Kohat Tunnel Construction project, now known as "Pak-Japan Friendship Tunnel" consists of constructing a new tunnel (length 1,885, width; 7.3m) as an alternative route to the 9.2 km mountainous Kohat Path. The new route has enabled the passage of large vehicles, alleviate traffic congestion, improve traffic safety, and reduce mileage and travel time. The tunnel has also increased the role of the Indus Highway (N-55) as a trunk road, thereby stimulating social and economic development in the backward area of North-west Frontier Province, and promoting a balanced economic development of Pakistan. Japan extended its ODA loan assistance through JBIC (Japan Bank for International Co-operation) for total 12.8 billion yen. The Tunnel was inaugurated and opened to public on June, 2003.

POLIO ERADICATION

Polio is a crippling disease caused by poliovirus. The cripple status lasts for the lifetime. Victims of Poliovirus are children, especially under five-year-old poliovirus spread very easily in areas with poor hygiene.

In 1988 the World Health Assembly set a goal to eradicate polio worldwide. Since then national governments, WHO, UNICEF and other partners including Government of Japan have been working together to achieve the goal. The number of reported cases of polio in the world has been reduced from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 732 cases associated with wild poliovirus in 2003.

Pakistan started its fight against polio 10 years ago in 1994 and the Government of Japan became a partner to Pakistan's polio eradication initiative in 1996 and since then consistently supported procurement of oral polio vaccine, cold chain equipment, and monitoring and evaluation activities.

The Government of Japan has decided to extend a grant of one billion and eighty three million yen (approx. Rupees 575 million or US $ 10 million) to procure 93 million doses of oral polio vaccine to be administered to children under the age of five all over Pakistan for the year 2004. The Japanese support is essential to achieve the target of interrupting the transmission of polio by 2005.

In addition to past and present co-operation to procure vaccine and equipment required, Japan has been doing technical support for Polio eradication and EPI through dispatching long and short- term experts from Japan.

TRAINING FOR HANDICAPPED

Under this programme the volunteer of JICNs are assisting students of AL-MAKTOOM SCHOOL for the visually impaired in lslamabad. The programme was started in 1995. Since then over one hundred Japanese young professionals from a wide range of expertise volunteered to work at the grass-root level. The volunteers are dispatched to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in lslamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad and smaller cities and towns.

JICA's new programme, senior Volunteer Programme, introduced in 2001 in Pakistan invite volunteers, aged between forty and sixty nine years old, with more experiences in highly specialized fields. Currently sixteen senior volunteers are working in three major cities.

The volunteers are working with the people of Pakistan for the brighter future of the country through transferring technical knowledge and skills to the local people they are working with. Date of Issue (November 08, 2004)