Australia provide grant for health project

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Australia signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday for a A$16 million grant for health projects in the East and West Nusa Tenggara provinces.

The State Minister of Population/Chairman of the National Family Planning Board Haryono Suyono said after the signing ceremony that the projects are meant to improve family planning programs and health condition in the two provinces.

Australian Ambassador Allan R. Taylor said the A$16 million (US$12.1 million) grant will also focus on women's reproductive health and family planning.

"The Indonesian government is providing A$2 million for the six-year project," he said.

Minister of Health Sujudi said that the two provinces need extra attention from the government because of their high rates of maternal and infant mortality.

"The grant is very useful for us because the government cannot afford to overcome the problems," he added.

Another memorandum of understanding was signed by Sardin Pabadja, deputy for the planning and analysis program of the Board, and Ali Ugur Tuncer, Indonesian Country Director of the United Nations Funding for Population Agency (UNFPA)-Netherlands.

The UNFPA grant of US$988,750 will cover a period of two years, starting last January, and will be used for an international training program for family planning officers.

Indonesia has offered its assistance to help Tanzania, Malawi and Ghana in their efforts to improve the implementation of their population programs.

Fifteen officers from each of the African countries will study special aspects of the program during a two-month training stint in Indonesia, which includes a month-long language training course.

The ceremony was also attended by the visiting Tanzanian Minister of Economic Planning, Isaac Abraham Zepetu. (05)