Microsoft Word 02Preface doc

5.3.1
 
Contribution to Each Disease 
(1)
 
Hepatitis B 
Research and development of hepatitis B diagnostic kits were carried out from the 
initial stages of JICA’s cooperation.  During the approximately 20-year period of 
cooperation, a series of activities were conducted to disseminate the kits throughout 
the country, including the further development of the diagnostic kits, the establishment 
of a mass production system, and the introduction of a freeze-dried method for 
improving storage of the kits.    As a result, the screening rate of blood for transfusions 
was increased from 45% to 95%.    The development of HEPCELL II was one of the 
greatest achievements of JICA’s cooperation.     
The contributions made by JICA’s cooperation in relation to hepatitis B are 
summarized as follows.