International Development: Japan gives $3.8 million to help Myanmar's children

Japan is to donate $3.8 million to UNICEF to help prevent AIDS, malaria, tetanus and measles in the country's children.

The donation will be used to provide anti-retroviral drugs to pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, anti-malarial drugs and 70,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets for children and pregnant women. In addition, more than 500,000 women of childbearing age will be immunized against tetanus and babies against measles.

Three months ago the U.N. Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, cut funding to the country because of what it described as impossible restrictions placed on them by the Military rulers. Therefore, $98 million was no longer available to help prevent children from dying.