of such efforts, Japan has been implementing grant aid cooperation for Indonesia, one of the countries most seriously hit by avian influenza. The cooperation project is for improvements in diagnosis capacity including the renovation and establishment of Disease Investigation Centers, instruction on diagnosis equipment, and guidance for safety and protection. $ ^{48} $ Cooperation to monitor and share information on outbreaks of infection has been also carried out in collaboration with health centers. $ ^{49} $ Other efforts include stockpiling antiviral drugs for 1.5 million people in cooperation with the ASEAN and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), contributing to public awareness raising, development of early warning systems and rapid containment capacities through WHO, UNICEF and other international organizations, and strengthening systems to contain avian influenza epidemics before they reach humans together with other Asian countries through the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE: Office International des Epizooties).

## (3) Population

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It is expected that, in line with its steady rise, the world’s population may reach 9.2 billion people by 2050. $ ^{50} $ The average annual population growth rate is 1.1%. Meanwhile, among the developing countries there continues to be a tendency for poor countries to have a higher population growth rate, significantly affecting poverty, unemployment, food shortages, undeveloped education, and environmental deterioration in those countries, and therefore addressing this issue is urgent. For example, the population growth rates in three countries in which per capita GNI is about US700, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Guinea-Bissau, are 3.7%, 3.1%, and 2.9%, respectively. The population issue has two sides to be dealt with. One is issues of individual level, that is, how each person within the population retains reproductive health and rights as well as how to bear and raise children. Another is issues of national level, such as poverty, shortage of food, water, and energy, environmental degradation, and population migration, which are largely influenced by population trends.

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In FY2007, Japan contributed ¥4 billion to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and ¥1.5 billion to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). These organizations provide support for improving the health of women during pregnancy and labor and for promoting maternal and child health, as well as collecting and analyzing population-related data, such as the census of developing countries, enhancing women's capabilities, and educating and advocating adolescents, reportedly accounting for over 1.2 billion of the world population.

Moreover, in March 2008, Japan provided instruments and other supplies as needed for emergency obstetric treatment to UNFPA Emergency Aid Projects in the Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire), Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia, in addition to facility development assistance for Afghanistan's census financed by a supplementary budget, thereby medically and socially supporting women. By assisting childbirth in these ways, Japan has been supporting reproductive health and rights at their critical stage.

## (4) Food

Japan’s record in FY2007 is as follows:

Grant aid: Approx. ¥16.0 billion (to 35 countries)

Grant assistance for underprivileged farmers:

Approx. ¥5.7 billion (to 18 countries)

Grant aid for fisheries: Approx. ¥4.6 billion (to six countries)

Technical cooperation

One expert dispatched $ ^{51} $

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Approximately 850 million people in the world are suffering from hunger, and approximately 350 million of them are children. $ ^{[52]} $ Every six seconds a child dies of causes related to hunger. The MDGs set a target of reducing by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. Meanwhile, the need for food aid has been growing due to conflicts, natural disasters, economic crises, and other problems. Of the children in the world suffering from malnutrition, approximately 170 million cannot get meals at school and about 130 million are not going to