The team of Japanese experts helped fight a yellow fever outbreak
JICA dispatched its Infectious Diseases Response Team for the first time, from July 20 to Aug. 7, 2016 to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to help combat a yellow fever outbreak.
The Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) Infectious Diseases Response Team was formed in October 2015. It is made up of staff members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and JICA, as well as infectious disease experts, and it works to minimize the spread of infectious diseases.
The team carried out three main types of work in the DRC:
1)Advising the Ministry of Health
2)Supporting diagnosis of yellow fever
3)Providing technical assistance for preparations of vaccination campaigns
A yellow fever outbreak occurred in Angola in December 2015, it affected to the DRC, a neighboring country, in April 2016 . More than 1,900 suspected and confirmed cases have been identified in five provinces including the city-province of Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC. Out of those suspected cases, 95 people died as of July 20, 2016.
Yellow fever is transmitted via Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, and the main symptoms are fever, headache and nausea. There are no effective treatment medications, but it can be prevented with a vaccine.
Delivering seamless assistance — which connects emergency assistance with various projects in times of natural disasters or infectious disease outbreaks — is a strength of JICA.
Since mid-June, the national laboratory of the DRC has been unable to make definite diagnoses due to a shortage of reagents. There is a need for the high level of knowledge required for examination and diagnosis, which is a Japanese specialty.
JICA has carried out multiple projects in the health field in the DRC, and it is currently supporting the training of health care workers. By dispatching the Infectious Diseases Response Team, JICA assisted with emergency response to an infectious disease outbreak, and JICA personnel now are thinking about carrying out a project to clarify measures for stopping the next outbreak after this outbreak has ended.
The Infectious Diseases Response Team's contributions are not only the on-site activities but also training for domestic personnel for overseas activities. As more personnel specializing in infectious diseases are trained, it is expected that the team will be able to provide a broader spectrum of assistance. Noriko Suzuki, head of the JDR Secretariat, has made clear her intention for JDR to engage in emergency disaster and infectious disease responses with such various trained experts to meet whatever the needs are.
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