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Taiwan to donate funds for health projects

Taiwan will donate funds for two health promotion projects in Burkina Faso, one of its diplomatic allies in Africa, a spokesman for the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in New York said on Saturday.

The two projects -- a trachoma prevention plan and a cooking oil plan -- were jointly organized by the New York-based Helen Keller International (HKI), the UN Children's Fund and the WHO, the spokesman said.

Andrew Hsia (夏立言), head of the TECO, will provide the funds to HKI president Kathy Spahn on behalf of the Taiwanese government during a reception to be held at the TECO office in Manhattan on Wednesday, the spokesman said.

The funds will include US$103,940 for the trachoma project, the spokesman said, adding that this donation represents the final installment in a three-year project that began in late 2004.

Taiwan has donated more than US$375,000 to the project aimed at combating trachoma in Burkina Faso's Komandjari area by planting fruits and vegetables to boost local residents' vitamin A intake, improving medical facilities and promoting hygiene and good sanitary habits among school children.

Trachoma is a highly infectious eye disease caused by bacteria and is the second largest cause of blindness in Africa and Asia.

Encouraged by the success of the trachoma prevention project, the spokesman said Taiwan has decided to sponsor a cooking oil project in Burkina Faso.

The project, which focuses on adding vitamin A to cooking oil to reduce the risks of mothers and young children dying from malnutrition, will also be implemented over three years at an estimated cost of US$300,000. Taiwan will foot the bill, with the first-year donation set at US$128,952.

HKI fights the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition by establishing various programs.
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