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Japan is providing a $145,000 grant to Bangladesh to expand tuberculosis (TB) screening services in slum areas of Dhaka.
A grant agreement was signed between Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Saida Shinichi and a representative of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) at the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka.
The embassy announced the development in a statement on Wednesday.
The grant is being provided under the Japanese government’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).
Under the project, a Toyota Land Cruiser and a portable Fujifilm digital X-ray unit will be purchased to support TB screening in Dhaka.
Mobile teams will take TB testing services directly to underserved communities and people with limited access to healthcare.
Around 9,000 people are expected to be screened each year under the initiative, according to the embassy.
The project aims to help identify previously undiagnosed TB patients and connect them with treatment at an early stage. It is also expected to reduce the risk of transmission by enabling patients to begin treatment promptly.
At the signing ceremony, Ambassador Saida Shinichi said Japan places strong importance on human security to protect people’s lives and dignity.
He said the project would help fulfil that commitment by bringing essential healthcare services to people who face various barriers to accessing them.
Ichiro Kashitani, vice chairman of Toyota Sho Corporation, also attended the ceremony. Toyota Sho Corporation and Fujifilm will provide technical training on the use of the project’s vehicle and equipment.
Since 1989, Japan has supported 224 NGO projects in Bangladesh under the GGP, with total grants amounting to around $17.8 million.