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(2)
Components of JICA Cooperation according to the Diseases
As shown in Table 4.3, each project targeted several diseases and research on specific
diseases that occurred during a period covering several projects. In consideration of
this situation, project activities have been reshuffled on the basis of the incidence or
occurrence of the diseases.
A series of JICA technical cooperation activities targeted diarrhoea,
acute respiratory
infection (ARI), hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, schistosomiasis, and filariasis. Components of
JICA technical cooperation are summarized below: (activities of each project, inputs
by JICA such as the dispatch of experts, C/P training and equipment provision are in
the attached annex).
1)
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B Virus is a major cause of liver disease in Kenya. Infection by the virus
may be associated with chronicity, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. WHO
recommended that blood for transfusions must be screened for HBV,
HIV and
Treponema palladium, among other pathogens.
All blood diagnostic kits utilized in Kenya, including the kit for Hepatitis B, were
imported when JICA started research cooperation on Hepatitis in 1985. Therefore,
besides the epidemiological study of hepatitis, KEMRI focused on the prevention and
control of viral Hepatitis B through the development and dissemination of a diagnostic
kit for Hepatitis B (HEPCELL II). HEPCELL II was approved as the official test kit
for Hepatitis B by the GOK in 1992, thus, KEMRI supplied provincial and district
hospitals with HEPCELL II, and also conducted TCTP and ICTP on the use of
HEPCEL L II. HEPCELL II has been distributed to public
hospitals by the National
Public Health Services (NPHLS) since 2003.
Figure 5.3 Number of HEPCELL Kits Supplied
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
No
. o
f Kits Su
pp
lied
Note: A kit consists of reagents for 200 tests.
Prepared by the investigation team
As Figure 5.3 shows, the supply of HEPCELL II fluctuated in the range of 130 - 200
kits over the period 1996 - 2001. After 2002, the supplied volume increases rapidly
and reached 1,055 kits in 2003. KEMRI reported that public hospitals in rural areas
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screened 69,373 units of blood for transfusions over the period 1996 - 2000. In
addition, the Alpha Feto Protein detection test kit for the detection of Hepatitis C Virus
(HCV) was developed, and an HCV-antibody detection kit is being developed by
KEMRI.
In addition, an exchange of notes was made on 4 August 2004 between the
Government of Japan and GOK for establishing mass production
facilities for blood
test kits at KEMRI.
2)
HIV/AIDS
The number of HIV/AIDS infected people has rapidly increased since the first case of
AIDS was diagnosed in a patient in 1984. UNICEF reported that by the year 1992
there would be more than 24,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS. To counter the
AIDS problem, a National AIDS Committee was established in 1985, and a National
AIDS Control Programme was started in 1986. In addition, the Kenya government
has positioned HIV/AIDS as a critical issue during the seventh national three-year
study (1994 - 97).
In view of this situation, GOK requested the implementation of the Research and
Control of Infectious Diseases Project Phase II, including HIV/AIDS
as a new target
disease. As a result, JICA started activities on HIV/AIDS in 1996.
Regarding cooperation for HIV/AIDS control, a diagnostic kit for HIV, namely
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