Kunii's Dream Awakes
with New RH & Family Care Training Center in China

In 1984, JOICFP began implementing the integrated project (IP) in China. In 1993, JOICFP's founder, Chojiro Kunii, envisioned the construction of an IP training center promoting international reproductive health and family planning (RH/FP) in Taicang City, Suzhou Municipality, Jiangsu Province.

A family health service center was established in Taicang in 1994 and the IP was developed into RH and family health services such as women's health, infant/child health, adolescent health, and health services for the aged, etc as well as family planning services. Taicang city has strengthened and improved RH/FP services, and the experience accumulated has been introduced to many other areas of China.

Although Kunii passed away in 1996, his vision was realized with the opening of the China Training Center of Reproductive Health and Family Care (CTC) on 28th October 2005 in Taicang. CTC is a non-profit organization based on the principles of people- and health-centered development, and JOICFP has been instrumental in its development.

At the inauguration ceremony, Yasuo Kon, Chairperson, JOICFP, gave a congratulatory address, followed by speeches from Zhang Weiqing, Minister, China National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC), Zhan Kan, Vice Governor, Jiangsu Province, Nobuo Kimura, Residential Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) China Office, Dr. Timothee Gandaho, Executive Director, Partners in Population & Development, and Pu Ronggao, Mayor of Taicang City.

Yasuo Kon delivers his congratulatory address

Taicang City constructed the state-of-the-art center, and Japanese official development assistance (ODA) provided equipment valued at nearly US$2.5 million. The center serves the RH needs of the area, and contains many training facilities and a medical laboratory, as well as a hotel and restaurant.

The new center boasts state-of-the-art facilities
and will provide both national and international training

It is expected that the center will carry out, for example, JICA technical cooperation to strengthen capacity building and development in central and western regions of China under bilateral cooperation. Furthermore, the Chinese government sees CTC taking a ‘micro' approach at the local level by providing health services, and a ‘macro' approach by providing training under South-South cooperation to people from inside and outside China.