Jordan Times
Monday, July 17, 2006
US agrees to support
biotech and healthcare programmes
By Victoria Macchi
AMMAN — The US government on Sunday agreed to
support the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) in enhancing medical
sciences and improving patient care in the field of oncology, a visiting
American health official told reporters on Sunday.
Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex
Azar, on a five-day official visit, signed the agreement yesterday along with
KAFD Head Faisal Fayez, under which the new King Hussein Cancer and
Biotechnology Institute will also receive support.
The collaboration, the result of an initiative by His Majesty King Abdullah,
intends to expand cancer treatment capabilities as well as biotechnology
research and development. Samir Khleif, of the National Institutes of Health,
will head the new institute.
Given previous projects in the country involving HHS, the support will most
likely come in the form of technical assistance.
During his visit, Azar was also briefed on another project benefiting from HHS
aid and financed with $4 million from USAID — the Jordan Field Epidemiology
Training Programme.
Under the programme, local epidemiologists and public health officials are
trained by a resident adviser from the US government’s Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention.
According to Azar, 23 people have graduated from the programme so far and have
been trained on the latest in disease surveillance.
The HSS’ second in command shared with reporters one example of the project’s
success when students noticed an increase in a certain type of hepatitis in a
concentrated area.
“Using statistics for public health, they were able to go to the village and
identify a water quality problem that was causing the hepatitis outbreak,”
explained Azar.
“This is the type of benefit to Jordanian citizens that can come from this type
of public health initiative,” he added.
One of the greatest challenges to the healthcare system in the US and in Jordan,
said Azar, is moving from a curative to a preventative system.
“You can stop people from ever needing to visit hospital if we prevent the bad
behaviours in the first place,” he said.
In order to achieve this, Azar suggested the country should focus on the health
of schoolchildren.
After consultation with Minister of Health Saeed Darwazeh and Minister of
Education Khalid Touqan, the HHS has teamed up with school officials to create
the “King Abdullah II Physical Fitness Award,” similar to a long-established
award in the US.
The pilot study was conducted in 144 schools throughout Jordan.
“The programme is off to a fantastic start, with a high level of commitment from
parents, teachers, and students...” said Azar, adding that the Ministry of
Education is “very committed” to the programme’s expansion to all primary and
secondary schools in the country.
“Jordan really has been a leader in the region when it comes to healthcare,”
said the US official.
“I see its future as being a regional hub... for excellence in public health.”