Bilateral Relations » Japan's Economic Cooperation between Japan and Tuvalu » Past Assistance Projects to Tuvalu » Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)» Speech

Speech by H.E. Masashi Namekawa, the Ambassador of Japan At the Grant Contract Signing Ceremony for the The Project for Rehabilitation of Health Centre for Vaitupu Island

Friday 26th October, 2007, Embassy of Japan, Suva

It is my honor to be present here today and officiate in the Grant Contract signing ceremony for the Vaitupu Health Centre, in Tuvalu. I welcome Mr Kaitu to Fiji and especially to our Embassy.
Today’s signing ceremony formalizes Japan’s assistance to the Vaitupu Health Centre under the Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects Programme (GGP), as a component of the wider Official Development Assistance policy (ODA), which endorses and executes aid initiatives such as the one we witness today.

Tuvaluans are hard working people. They have already risen from the shackles of geo-strategic isolation and physical size to champion awareness on environment conservation, global warming and sea-level rise. Their campaign echoes from the corridors of power at the UN in New York, to TV Documentaries in Japan, and as a resurgent hope among the 51 countries of Small Island Developing States.

All the success in the world would be to no avail if the health of a nation is dismal. From superpowers to emerging nations, all have made it their top most priority to attain a healthier and quality standard of living for their people. The increase in population, changes in lifestyles, and the scourge of diseases pose a clear and present danger to people everywhere, Tuvalu being no exception. It is quite reassuring to note that the assistance given to Vaitupu Health Centre by the Government of Japan, not only inaugurates as the first project for the health centres located in the outlying islands of Tuvalu, but it is also in quick succession to the assistance given to Queen Margaret Hospital in Funafuti, which is the premier hospital of Tuvalu. I am even more proud to learn that the Government of Japan will proceed with the GGP assistance to other health centres located in the outer islands of the Tuvalu group. I am confident that such an encouraging drive will surely inject new fervor into the Tuvaluan people’s efforts to maintain and upgrade healthcare in the country.

The GGP is designed to address basic human needs such as, health, education, water supply, sanitary environment, training etc, to cohesively promote development at grassroots level. The formalization of the aid assistance project today is the tangible result of the bilateral friendship that exists between the people and Governments of Japan and Tuvalu and I am quite confident that this bond will continue to strengthen. I wish the stakeholders all the success in this project.

Finally, I hope the people of Tuvalu get to derive the maximum benefit from the assistance given to Vaitupu Health Centre. An enhanced level of healthcare is the dream of leaders the world over, and this assistance is a step towards that direction.

Thank You.

Bilateral Relations » Japan's Economic Cooperation between Japan and Tuvalu » Past Assistance Projects to Tuvalu » Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)