For example, HIV/AIDS will be tackled not simply as a medical problem; instead, a cross-sectoral approach utilizing a variety of schemes will be adopted. More specifically, priority will be placed on strengthening prevention and voluntary counseling and testing (VCT), while at the same time paying attention to reinforcing the regional health care system as a whole. Employment support will also be provided to people living with HIV/AIDS, along with medical treatment and care, and social support for sufferers, their families and HIV/AIDS orphans. Consideration will also be given to incorporating, as necessary, HIV/AIDS measures into development assistance programs in view of the risk of HIV/AIDS epidemics caused by the movement and concentration of populations which accompany economic development, trafficking in children and women, and the growing risk of transmission of HIV/AIDS through drug use.

## (b) Direct assistance to the poor

Direct assistance to the poor occupies a significant position in efforts to reduce poverty. From the “human security” perspective, this requires strengthening the capabilities of the poor and communities so as to enable the poor to participate in the formulation of aid policies, and the project planning and implementation process that affect their own lives. In particular, cooperation with NGOs and other entities capable of responding to diverse needs at the grassroots level will be pursued.

## (i) Enhancing basic social services

In order to improve the quality of life of the poor, Japan will actively assist in the enhancement of basic social services, such as education, health services, safe water supply, shelter, and electrification, while encouraging improvements in governance in the recipient country. For example, Japan will seek to improve hygiene conditions and raise awareness by providing wells and latrines in its school construction projects in poor areas, and to improve children's nutrition through school meals. With a view to strengthening the delivery of basic social services, assistance will be provided to build the capacity of central and local governments, and to improve health and medical systems. At the same time, the establishment of transport, communications and electric power infrastructure will be assisted with the objective of improving access to hospitals and schools. Support will also be provided for training and development of educational materials in order to improve the quality of services. In addition, assistance that will contribute to women and children's health and reproductive health will be provided, addressing infectious diseases and women's capacity building.

## (ii) Strengthening livelihoods

To enable the poor to break out from poverty, it is important to strengthen capacity to sustain their livelihoods and to enable them to earn income through their own productive activities. Japan will provide assistance for the development of small-scale infrastructure that will benefit the poor, such as rural markets, fishing ports, rural roads and irrigation, as well as microfinance and unemployment programs targeted at the poor. In tandem with these measures, action will be taken to develop the capabilities of the poor, such as through skills training.

## (iii) Protection from sudden threats

As the poor tend to be highly vulnerable to threats such as economic crises, social problems, such as drugs and crime, and natural disasters, it is important to protect the poor against such threats and strengthen their ability to withstand such threats. For this purpose, Japan will assist in establishing “safety nets” for the poor, such as relief measures for the unemployed, nutritional improvement programs and delivery of social services. With respect to the disaster caused by the major earthquake off the coast of Sumatra and the tsunami in the Indian Ocean that occurred in December 2004, Japan will promote cooperation in the area of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis in a comprehensive and coherent manner based on the Initiative for Disaster Reduction through ODA. Japan provides assistance for policy proposals, institution building, human resources development and steady implementation of plans that are necessary for making disaster prevention an integral part of national policy, city planning and rural planning. In addition, Japan will also make efforts to rapidly deliver assistance to the disaster victims in the aftermath of disaster and to reduce the vulnerability to disasters of the poor by ending the vicious circle of disaster and poverty in the reconstruction phase.