ASIA WATCH: Japan university helps Bhutan fight gastric cancer
Oita University is partnering with Bhutan to combat high rates of gastric cancer by training local doctors and implementing low-cost rapid testing for H. pylori. This initiative is supported by Japanese government science and technology cooperation programs.
Why it matters
This demonstrates the impact of international medical collaboration in addressing public health crises in developing nations.
THIMPHU - Oita University is helping Bhutan tackle gastric cancer by supporting local production of rapid tests for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium linked to the disease, and training doctors to perform endoscopies aimed at detecting cancer earlier.
In late July, an endoscopic examination was underway at a general hospital in the capital, Thimphu. Oita University vice president Yoshio Yamaoka, a professor specializing in environmental and preventive medicine, watched as a Bhutanese doctor carried out the procedure smoothly according to established protocols.
Yamaoka, who spent many years conducting research at U.S. medical schools, studied the prevalence of H. pylori in the Himalayan kingdom in 2010 as part of research across Asia.
Bhutan had only one doctor capable of performing endoscopies at the time, prompting Yamaoka to bring three endoscopes from Thailand to conduct his research.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in