A Japan-based organization is intensifying a mission to carry out its maternal health care project in Abra province to prevent maternal-child mortality.
With the local government unit, the Japan International Cooperating Agency conducted another local health zone meeting for a project focusing on maternal health care which will be spread from the urban areas to the most remote places.
JICA has identified the municipalities of Dolores, Lagangilang and San Juan in northern Abra and the municipalities of Peñarrubia, Pilar and Villaviciosa in southern Abra as having a fast-growing number of deaths.
The Japanese agency said it is determined to achieve zero maternal and child mortality in the province.
Fude Takayoshi, JICA chief advisor, said the project started in 2012 and will end in February 2017.
Takayoshi said that in the last four years of project implementation, they provided medical equipment, birthing facilities and doctors to rural health units.
JICA has also conducted seminars and workshops to the RHU teams to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills in serving the patients.
The LGU officials said JICA has provided assistance and facility provision to help them deliver quality health services to the people, especially pregnant women and children in the remote villages.
“JICA has been a great help to the health department here and its legacy will continue even after its termination next year,” Manuela Munar, the JICA field consultant in Abra, said.