Merry Christmas and Happy new year soon

New staff joined our project as a secretary.
Her name is Ms Belle who has working experience in Singapore.
She is so delightful, charming and very friendly person.
She must contribute a lot to our project. Welcome, Belle!

We had a Christmas party with Tohoku group. They kindly invited us to join their party. Thank you very much always.
We are using their office space and follow their management. It is really really helpful for our project.

A happy new year soon!!



Christmath Party with Tohoku group
Tohoku students were firstly eating Baluto

Dr Quiambao visit to Oita University

On the 13rd Nov 2018
Dr Quiambao visited Oita University. 
Oita University firstly invited Dr Quiambao.
She met with Director (Dr Kitano) of Oitauniversity.
Then visited several departments in Oita University  (ER, Heliport to Doctor`s Helicopter, Radiology Department, Outpatient Department) 
She visited BSL3 laboratory specialized to rabies experiment. Only Oita University in Japan has BSL3 specifically used to rabies laboratory work.

On the 14th Nov, 2018
Dr Quiambao and Dr Saito visited ADTEC company Watanabe medical group located in Usa City, Oita Prefecture.
ADTEC produce various type of rapid diagnostic kits including human diagnosis and animal diagnosis.
Prof Nishizono and ADTEC collaboratively invented rabies diagnostic kit (antigen kit and antibody detection kit)
This company has great skill to make unique diagnostic kits which other companies are difficult to produce.
Our project strongly collaborates with ADTEC and try to achieve our target (elimination rabies). We are sure that Japanese medical companies can contribute to rabies control and elimination!


Courtesy court to President Dr Kitano


See doctor`s helicopter



University Hospital tour


Visit Rabies BSL3 laboratory


Visit ADTEC company

Dr Quiambao symposium speaker in The 9th ACIPD

1oth Nov ~ 12th Nov 2018
The 9th Asian Congress of Pediatric Infectious Diseases was held in Fukuoka, Japan.

Our Principal investigator, Dr Beatriz Quiambao in RITM, was invited as guest speaker of the symposium in the Congress.

Dr Quiambao explained the situation, the National Program and the challenges and necessary next steps.  Dr Quiambao also introduced our JAPOHR project.

Most audiences were impressive to her presentation and understood the difficult situation. Our project should tackle these problems together with many stakeholders.

Mr. Shimokawa starts to work as a Coordinator in our RITM SATREPS office from today.

After graduating from Miyazaki University, he participated in JOCV(Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers) in Malawi and had worked in 9 countries so far.

It is the second time for him to work in the Philippines. He worked in the Philippines 28 years ago as a JICA Senior Volunteer.

Upon having all the members joined, we should be running the Project at its's full strength from now on!

Calumpit field investigation and courtesy court to Mayor

On the 25th and 26th October, we visited Calumpit where is our project site. Our project aims to establish "One health network model" in this area.

We visited 2 Rural Health Units (RHU) and 1 Barangay health station. There were nice health care workers (doctors, nurse and barangay health workers They are very supportive to our projects.  We did a simple question to residents in Calumpit.  We felt the knowledge about rabies is relatively high in this area among not only adults but also children. Most families have dogs or cats in this area.

We also visited the Animal bite health centre (ABTC) in Bulacan medical centre. So many people visited the centre to seek Post-exposure prophylaxis. As there is no ABTC in Calumpit, most people visit this ABTC after animal exposure.

On the 25th , we visited DA region 3 and meet with RTD. We explained our projects and had a nice discussion. RADDL3 is the most important field site in our project. Their understandings and supports are necessary for our projects.

On the 26th October, we were honoured to meet the mayor in Calumpit and we were able to explain our project with relative organizations (Bulacan Provincial health office, Bulacan Veterinary Office, DOH region3, JICA). The mayor is very friendly with much humour and we chatted a lot about our future plan. And he was very supportive of our project.

We were able to gather many supportive people in the meeting. We hope our project to help the elimination and control rabies in this area!

Meeting with DA-BAI OIC Dr. Ronnie Domingo

On the 16th October 2018
We had a useful discussion with Dr Ronne Domingo ( Office in Charge, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry)

We explained our project and requested strong collaboration with DA-BAI.
In the discussion, we decided to start a discussion to build a new integrated data sharing system to prevent human rabies.

We hope that the active diagnosis of dog rabies and the data share system in the DA-BAI can contribute elimination of rabies in the Philippines.

For safety animal rabies diagnosis, we will provide specialized animal biosafety cabinet and fluorescent microscope in this project.

First visit PI Prof Akira Nishizono

22nd October Prof Akira Nishizono (SATERPS Principal Investigator of Japan side)
visited RITM first time after starting this project.


Activities on this day are here
- Courtesy court to New director
- Discussion with JAPOHR RITM members 
- Observation New BSL3 laboratory which was provided by Japan Embassy

Our project will set up Selorogy test (REFFIT) which is the gold standard to detect rabies antibody level after the immunization. However currently in this country, no institution can perform the gold standard antibody test for human and animals.

JAPOHR project and RITM will set up this laboratory method. This new BSL3 laboratory is needed for the test and useful laboratory here in the Philippines.

Meeting in San Lazaro Hospital

On the 19th October 2018

Rabies meeting was held in San Lazaro Hospital.
Our member Dr Quiambao Dr Saito, Dr Sheilla, Dr Alpha, Dr Kimitsuki joined the meeting.

The agenda is to discuss the human rabies diagnosis in SLH. SLH treated the most number of rabies cases in the Philippines. However, laboratory confirmation has never been done in this hospital. As WHO suggested, setting up of laboratory testings are necessary for rabies endemic area and the test can provide the useful epidemiological information.

It was the first meeting but we could share our technique and SLH staff could understand the capabilities of our members.

We will continue the discussion with SLH!

RADDL3 Observation trip Dr Saito and Dr Kimitsuki

Dr Saito and Dr Kimitsuki conducted an initial observational trip to RADDL3.

We understood the situation and diagnostic flow in RADDL3. Further stay is needed to understand more. Dr Jocely and Victoria treated us very well! Thank you.

Also, we visited the animal impounding centre in San Fernand.

Kazuo Kimitsuki Veteri

Short term expert, Dr Kazuo Kimitsuki(Veterinarian) arrived on the 15th October 2018. His main role in the implementation of a novel rabies diagnosis in the animal.

His main station will be RITM and RADDL3. Dr Kimitsuki plan to stay in the Philippines for 2months and 1month stay in Japan and repeat the stays in the two countries.

Good luck

New JAPOHR office in RITM

We start to use new office in RITM
The room is shared with Tohoku research group!

Please visit our new office!

First meeting with DA-BAI

1st meeting with DA-BAI rabies team was held on the 9th October.

Dr Maria Golofezita O Lagayan (Joy) who is new rabies coordinator organized the meeting. Dr Joy became key JAPOHR member of DA-BAI.
Also Dr Franz Ubaldo (Laboratory chief) and Ms Marifes Gealore (PhiLARIS coodinator) joined the meeting.

Dr Quiambao and Dr Demetria from RITM 
Dr Saito and other JICA staff also joined the meeting.

First, Saito explained our project detail and role of DA-BAI.
After the presentation, a super useful discussion was done.   

We agreed that JAPOHR project will strongly collaborate with DA-BAI rabies team for our target. PHILAHIS team also will collaborate JAPOHR.
Here is PHILAHIS website
http://www.philahis.ahwd.ph/

(Nobuo Saito)





Team PHILAHIS

First meeting / Arrival Nobuo Saito (long term expert)

1st October 2018
Finally! Long-term expert (Nobuo Saito) arrived in the Philippines!
First meeting with the counterpart was held with Principal investigator Dr Quiambao, Dr Miranda, Dr Demetria.
JICA health sector team members  from JICA Philippines office joined the meeting and discussed about the project

Before the meeting, we did courtesy court to New director in RITM (Dr Celia P. Carlos). Picture

Day7 final day of JAPOHR training in Japan

Day 7 (30th Aug 2018)

Courtesy court to Director of NIID: Dr Wakita

Discussion with Dr Inoue 

Discussion about the autopsy of rabies case imported cases 

Lecture about Rabies Vaccine 

Lecture by Sheila and Joley 

Farewell, party and certificate mini ceremony in Izakaya and Karaoke! 

Congratulation to all participants! 

Training day 6

Day 6 (29th Aug 2018)

Tour in National Institute of infectious diseases(NIID) and the laboratories. 

Courtesy court to director of the department of Veterinary Science: Dr Shigeru Morikawa

Short lecture and observation of electron microscope by Dr Hasegawa

Move to Murayama branch in NIID

Tour in Division of biosafety control and research (BSL 4 Laboratory)  with Dr Iki 

Lecture of activities of the department of virology department and SFTS byDr Shimojima

Lecture of diagnosis electron microscopy of the virus by Dr Nagata and tour of the pathological department