The Ministry for Health and Medical Services’ non-communicable diseases (NCD) project team can now   easily visit their project sites.

This became possible when the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) donated a four-wheel-drive vehicle to the ministry yesterday.

JICA resident representative Hiroyuki Sawada said: “The vehicle is being donated to the ministry under the project of Strengthening for Prevention of NCD.

“The vehicle will be used by the NCD project team to visit project sites and carry out their project activities such as field surveys,” he said.

Mr Sawada said Japan supported the prevention of NCDs through a regional project carried out in Fiji and Kiribati.

“This project being implemented by JICA will provide technical co-operation to strengthen the capacity of medical personnel to oversee people taking preventive countermeasures to avoid the burden of NCDs,” he said.

Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services Veena Bhatnagar thanked JICA for their timely donation.

“I am grateful to work with JICA to tackle NCDs. The vehicle will be used for the work of the NCD project in collaboration with the ministry and JICA,” she said.

Edited by Maikeli Seru

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