BACKGROUND AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1. In July 2007, we announced an inquiry into the
UK Department for International Development (DFID)'s support to
maternal health. The main purpose of the inquiry was to examine
how donors—particularly DFID—can support
progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5, which seeks a
reduction by three-quarters in the level of maternal mortality
worldwide and universal access to reproductive health by 2015.
2. We received 24 submissions of written evidence
from a wide range of development organisations and actors, including:
non-governmental organisations (NGOs); multilateral aid organisations;
consultancies; universities; professional bodies; and individuals.
We are grateful to all those who submitted written evidence, and
to those who supplied us with background papers.
3. We would like to thank the individuals and organisations
who gave oral evidence during five evidence sessions at Westminster
between October and December 2007. We are particularly grateful
to those from developing countries, and with close links to developing
countries, who took the time to engage with the inquiry. We greatly
value their input and look forward to more input from developing
countries in future inquiries.
4. We would like to thank our Specialist Advisers,
Professor Wendy Graham of the University of Aberdeen and Regina
Keith of Cara International Consulting, for their assistance throughout
the inquiry.
5. We would also like to thank those who took part
in informal discussions with us, including Professor Oona Campbell
from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Dr
David McCoy of University College London.
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