## $ ^{*} $ Emerging/reemerging infectious diseases

Emerging diseases: SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), avian influenza, the Ebola virus, and other infectious diseases that were not known in the past but that have been newly recognized in recent years. Reemerging diseases: Cholera, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases that had spread widely in the past, then subsequently saw a decrease in the number of patients and were believed to have converged, but that have increased again in recent years.

## $ ^{*} $ Neglected tropical diseases

Chagas' disease, dengue fever, filariasis, and other diseases transmitted from parasites, bacteria, etc. The number of infected individuals has reached approximately 1 billion worldwide, with some cases resulting in death, although many of the diseases could be prevented or eradicated. In addition, because of factors such as the prevalence among the poor, there is little public concern, so the development and spread of diagnostic methods, treatment, and new drugs is lagging.

Philippines

# “Projects for Prevention and Control of Leptospirosis in the Philippines” Technical Cooperation Project (April 2010 - Current)

Leptospirosis is a widely-spread infectious disease mainly in tropical and subtropical areas, which causes hepatic disorders, renal failure, pulmonary hemorrhage, and other disorders in an infected individual, and death in some cases. It is estimated that about 500,000 people are infected with this disease worldwide each year, with 23% of those cases ending in death (WHO, 1999). Because the symptoms are very similar to those of other infectious diseases, its prevention and diagnosis requires sophisticated and specialized technology. Leptospirosis is endemic in the Philippines as well. When the nation was struck by a typhoon in October 2009, there was an outbreak of the disease in the affected area, resulting in a large number of deaths. Because of the difficulty of prevention and diagnosis, effective countermeasures have not been taken. In this context, Japan has actively provided assistance for epidemiological studies in relation with Leptospirosis, as well as the development of techniques for rapid diagnosis, etc., through a framework of Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development, which is to support joint research between research institutes in Japan and recipient countries.

Researchers engage in detection work (Photo: JICA)

## Thailand

# “International Training Course on STIs Case Management Skills” Third-country Training (October 2008 - March 2011)

Gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted infections create approximately 340 million new patients each year. This is a serious global public health issue, but the current situation is that there is no effective countermeasure in many developing countries because there is a risk of being infected again when individuals stop taking medication believing they have been cured.

Under the cooperation between Japan and Thailand, inviting trainees from five African countries (Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe), this project conducts practical training on medical case control techniques, including not only diagnosing and treating patients but also counseling and educating people, and advising how to deal with a partner infected by a sexually transmitted disease, etc. As advocated at the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD-IV) held in Yokohama in 2008, Japan is working toward solving global issues by sharing successful experiences in assisting Asia with the countries of Africa.

An instructor from Thailand teaches African trainees methods of detecting sexually transmitted infections (Photo: JICA)