Myanmar Health Ministry and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have been cooperating in implementing a resettlement project for the disabled in the country, aimed at helping them in their recovery efforts, sources with the ministry said on Monday.

The five-year project (2009-2013), being implemented at the National Disabled Recovery Hospital in Yangon, includes education and human resource development and upgrading of medical equipment for the hospital, the sources said, adding that information network between the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, non-governmental organizations and the health ministry will be established.

Under the technical cooperation project, the JICA is to provide technical know how to Myanmar and train Myanmar government employees in Japan, it said.

During last year, the Myanmar Disabled People Association (MDPA) drew two long-term resettlement projects for the disable people in the country as an encouraging measures by providing them with vocational opportunities.

The first three-year project have started implementation by the European Union organization and the Leprosy Mission International (TLMI) in five townships in the Yangon municipal area.

Another five-year project with TLMI in five regions of Mawlamyaing, Pathein, Taungoo, Pakkoku and Kyaingtong to be followed includes disseminating educational talks, teaching programs and vocational training programs.

In Myanmar, there are over 50 million populations, of which the disabled take up 1.3 million.

Among them, handicaps stood the highest with 72.3 percent, followed by visual impairment with 10.9 percent, hearing impairment with 9.5 percent and mentally impairment with 9 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2010)