13 Mar 2003 : Column 353W
Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 13 March 2003
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AIDS
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings she has had with pharmaceutical companies to discuss AIDS in developing countries. [102738]
Clare Short: My Department continues to give greater priority to prevention, but we also place great emphasis on reducing the personal, social and economic impact of illness and disease caused by HIV/AIDS. The fight against HIV/AIDS has to incorporate effective public health responses that engage in education, prevention, care and support, impact mitigation and related development concurrently. For any of these programmes to be successfully implemented, broad multi-sectoral approaches are crucial.
I have regularly met representatives of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), AstraZeneca and Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries (ABPI), as a result of their involvement in the high level working group on increasing access to essential medicines for AIDS, TB and Malaria.
Officials from my Department have been in extensive dialogue with representatives of these companies and MERCK, a member of the US PHARMA industry association, around taking forward the reports' recommendations in a number of initial countries. We will continue to have a dialogue with them and other key actors in the pharmaceutical industry in the lead up to the G8 summit in Evian later this year.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's strategy is for tackling AIDS. [102812]
Clare Short: My Department's HIV/AIDS strategy focuses on the following key areas:
- building political leadership;
building national capacity;
tackling the underlying causes of vulnerability;
maximising the contribution of all sectors;
supporting work across the prevention, treatment, care and impact mitigation continuum;
supporting the development of knowledge generation.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department is doing to co-ordinate an international strategy for tackling AIDS in the developing world. [102813]
13 Mar 2003 : Column 354W
Clare Short: The Declaration of Commitment adopted by 189 delegations at the twenty-sixth Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 2001 sets out a global consensus on action necessary to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Within this framework, my Department is working in partnership with governments, international agencies, the private sector, NGOs and others to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of combating HIV/AIDS.
Ethiopia
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on food security in Ethiopia; and what assessment her Department has made of the number of people who have died as a result of food shortages in Ethiopia in the last 12 months. [102748]
Clare Short: The overall response to the humanitarian crisis has so far averted mortality that could be directly attributed to levels of starvation. However, low levels of nutrition predispose people to disease, which can raise mortality rates. For this reason, we are working with the Ethiopian Government and other donors to provide assistance with health, water and sanitation in addition to food.
Forestry (Africa)
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the UK position on the Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Conference in April. [101325]
Clare Short: The Under-Secretary of State for International Development will make a statement of the UK position at the Africa Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial in April.
Global Health Fund
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the (a) performance and (b) future funding of the Global Health Fund. [102814]
Clare Short: The primary role of the fund is to provide drugs and commodities for the prevention and treatment of AIDS, TB and Malaria. Wherever possible the Global Fund should be providing support behind strategies that help deliver sustainable improvements in health care. The fund has strong founding principles in this regard, but performance to date to this end has been mixed.
The UK Government have pledged $200 million over five years to the fund, $80 million of which has been disbursed. In addition we have committed over £1.5 billion since 1997 to support the development of health systems in poorer countries. Strengthening such systems is vital if drugs are to be safely and sustainably supplied to the poor. Our future support for the Global Fund will depend on its effectiveness. It is one of several possible instruments designed to improve basic health care in poor countries.
13 Mar 2003 : Column 355W
International Organisation for Migration
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department has to increase its funding to the International Organisation for Migration. [101715]
Clare Short: My Department has no current plans to increase funding to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). To date, DFID's funding of IOM has principally been for practical programmes aimed at improving IOM's capacity in the area of emergency response and preparedness. We will continue to consider any proposals put to us in this or other areas of mutual interest such as research in the field of migration and development. In addition, DFID is responsible for paying half of the UK's annual subscription to IOM. This will continue.
Uganda
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the reports of a ceasefire by the Lord's Resistance Army. [102808]
Clare Short: Both Government and Donors have greeted this announcement with cautious optimism. President Museveni has responded by ordering the Ugandan Army to pull back from frontline positions in one area for a period of five days so that religious leaders, traditional leaders, and a Government peace team can hold face-to-face talks with the LRA. It is too early to say what will come out of this process but we are hoping for positive developments so that this terrible conflict might be brought to an end.
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of reports by the UN WFP on malnutrition in children in Anaka and Pabbo refugee camps in northern Uganda; and how much aid she is giving in response. [102809]
Clare Short: An estimated 800,000 people have been displaced by this conflict in northern Uganda. Access to these groups is often difficult due to insecurity, but we are aware that the malnutrition rates in Anaka and Pabbo displaced persons camps are of grave concern. To date DFID has provided £2.5m for humanitarian needs including £1.6m to the World Food Programme for the emergency purchase and distribution of food supplies. This food, along with other donor contributions, is now being distributed in Pabbo and Anaka as well as other camps in northern Uganda. The DFID office in Uganda remains in close touch with agencies working in the area and is continually re-assessing the situation.
Uzbekistan
Mr. Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she will make to the Government of Uzbekistan on its human rights record when she chairs the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development meeting in Tashkent. [102191]
Clare Short: The EBRD's new strategy for Uzbekistan clearly states the concerns about the situation in Uzbekistan and the need for progress
13 Mar 2003 : Column 356W
with economic and political (including human rights) reforms. The strategy also sets out seven key benchmarks for political (including human rights) and economic progress, and states that the bank will monitor progress towards these benchmarks after one year.
At the annual meeting I will seek to ensure these messages are delivered strongly, so as to encourage the Uzbek authorities to undertake essential economic and political reforms, which will enhance the country's economic growth, attract investment and reduce poverty.
Central Asia is a region of desperate poverty, of high levels of debt and corruption, and of deteriorating infrastructure and public services. We hope that the EBRD Annual Meeting will focus international attention on the region, and will provide a forum for a full and open discussion of the need for progress in achieving economic and political transition, tackling poverty, strengthening the investment climate, increasing regional co-operation and improving human rights.
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development regarding human rights in Uzbekistan. [102247]
Clare Short: EBRD's new two-year strategy for Uzbekistan clearly states the need for improvements in the human rights situation. Encouraging progress with economic and political (including human rights) reform is a central part of the bank's work and the UK Delegation at EBRD has been closely involved in the bank's discussions on Uzbekistan. In addition I have met EBRD's President Lemierre twice in the last six months to discuss the EBRD Annual Meeting, and conditions in Uzbekistan and Central Asia more widely.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |