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| JICA experts working at Can Tho University on the project |
The five-year project, starting in 2012, was signed on December 27, between representatives of the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), the National Institute of Nutrition and the Ministry of Health's International Co-operation Department.
The project will provide the technology for detecting multi-drug resistant bacteria in clinics, hospitals and the communities of Hanoi, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City and Thai Binh Province. It also aims to find antibiotic residues in food and develop a surveillance system.
The project will involve building a laboratory as well as database facilities which will analyse how these types of bacteria develop. The facilities would also be use for training purposes.
Multi-drug resistant bacteria have been a rising concern in Vietnam, where antibiotics are widely used. Some experts worry that overuse of antibiotics might lead to a bacteria that is resistant to any available antibiotics.
It has been estimated that 42% of the Vietnamese population carry drug-resistant bacteria, a very high rate compared to other countries. Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis affects around 6,000 people per year in the country, claiming 1,800 lives.
