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Thimphu, Bhutan -- Oita University in Japan is collaborating with the country to combat gastric cancer by facilitating local production of rapid tests for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium associated with the disease, and training medical professionals to conduct endoscopies for early detection. During a recent endoscopic examination in the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu, Oita University's vice president and H. pylori researcher, Yoshio Yamaoka, observed a Bhutanese doctor performing the procedure proficiently.
In 2010, Bhutan possessed only one qualified endoscopist, leading Yamaoka to bring three endoscopes from Thailand for his research purposes. Surveys conducted in 2014 and 2015 revealed that over 70% of Bhutanese individuals were infected with H. pylori, with a particularly aggressive strain identified. The momentum for tackling gastric cancer accelerated when Lotay Tshering, who had been Bhutan's sole endoscopist in 2010, became prime minister in 2018.
Together, Yamaoka and Tshering made eradicating the disease a national policy. In fiscal 2021, Yamaoka's gastric cancer project was chosen for a science and technology cooperation program jointly administered by Japan's International Cooperation Agency and the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, receiving a five-year budget of 500 million yen ($3.1 million).
In partnership with ADTEC, a pharmaceutical company from Usa Prefecture, the group developed a rapid test kit capable of detecting H. pylori in stool samples within ten minutes while maintaining low costs. The Royal Centre for Disease Control in Thimphu obtained the required permissions and intends to manufacture the kits internally.
Early detection of H. pylori infection, according to ADTEC's director Chimmi Dorji, will enable more effective measures against gastric cancer. Alongside the test initiative, Yamaoka has been instrumental in increasing the number of Bhutanese doctors skilled in performing endoscopies. Japanese specialists visit Bhutan for approximately two months at a time to train local physicians, with 21 having participated thus far.
Eight Bhutanese endoscopists have also journeyed to Japan for further training. Currently, Bhutan boasts 24 endoscopists, up from a single practitioner when Yamaoka commenced his research in 2010. Yamaoka has visited Bhutan more than 20 times as part of his ongoing commitment to the cause. Historically, the incidence rate of gastric cancer in Bhutan matched its mortality rate, meaning that patients diagnosed with the disease often succumbed to it. Through early detection, Yamaoka aspires to render gastric cancer a treatable condition.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
