To assist the efforts of the Philippines to combat the threats of a pandemic influenza, Japanese Ambassador Makoto Katsura formally handed over to Department of Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde the allotment of Tamiflu and PPE for the Philippines on November 10, 2008 in Manila . The Government of Japan provided the Philippines with approximately 75,000 courses of Tamiflu®, an antiviral medicine and personal protective equipment (PPE) for estimated 35,000 people.
The prevention and containment of Pandemic Influenza outbreak is a prevailing challenge for the health sector in the East Asian Region. With the increasing global threat of flu pandemic among humans, the Government of Japan, utilizing the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) and in close coordination with the World Health Organization, has provided the ASEAN with the regional stockpile of 500,000 courses of Tamiflu and PPE for 700,000 people in Singapore in 2006. These stockpiles are for the purpose of early containment operation in case of influenza outbreak. In addition to this existing ASEAN region-wide stockpile and per request from the ASEAN, a total of 500,000 courses of Tamiflu (and half of the PPE stockpiled in Singapore ) are allocated for each ASEAN member state.
This provision of Tamiflu (and PPE) is expected to help the Philippines enhance its preparedness for the possible outbreak of pandemic influenza.
Japanese version
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