Japan mulls using yen loans with Gates Foundation to eradiate polio+

TOKYO, July 11 Kyodo -
The government is considering utilizing yen loans to eradicate polio in Pakistan in cooperation with a foundation set up by Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, sources close to the matter said Monday.
The envisioned project through the Japan International Cooperation Agency reflects Japan's aim to expand the use of long-term, low-interest yen loans to the field of health in developing countries in addition to the improvement of infrastructure, they said.
Under a new loan framework being designed by the government, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would repay the yen loans instead of Pakistan, if the country meets requirements such as reducing the prevalence of polio, according to the sources.
The Japanese government and the foundation are currently discussing what kind of indicators they will use to evaluate Pakistan's efforts, they said.
The envisioned project could prompt the nation to accelerate its work on administering polio vaccine, and such a framework would benefit Japan as well, given that the foundation would cover the risk of default by Pakistan.
Japan is also mulling providing yen loans to Bangladesh to help it decrease the mortality rate of pregnant women, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the government is considering holding an international conference on global cooperation in the health field in connection with the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which will be held in Tokyo in October 2012, they added.