§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Minister of Overseas Development, in view of the prevalence of polio in many developing countries, what information she has regarding research into the development of a polio vaccine which it not affected by climatic conditions.
§ Mr. TomlinsonMy Ministry does not currently support such research, but consideration is being given to providing help for work on the so-called "cold chain", to improve the methods and equipment used to deliver vaccines in good condition to rural areas of developing countries. I understand that the World Health Organisation is in the early stages of investigating the possibilities of producing "heat stable" poliomyelitis and measles vaccines.
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Minister of Overseas Development what is her estimate of the number of children throughout the world who caught polio in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. TomlinsonAlthough my Ministry has no responsibility for world medical statistics I understand that, according to the records of the World Health Organisation, a world total of 8,692 new cases of poliomyelitis was reported in 1974 and that these related almost entirely to children. The WHO is expected to publish within a few weeks figures of reported new cases of poliomyelitis in 1975.
374Wthe final offer made by the Northern Ireland Office.
§ Mr. ConcannonThe information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The information shown below is, however, available for the Londonderry city area for the last five financial years:
§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Minister of Overseas Development what is her estimate of the percentage of the child population in developing countries which contract polio.
§ Mr. TomlinsonAlthough my Ministry has no responsibility for medical statistics concerning the developing world, I understand that the World Health Organisation has recently estimated that the incidence of paralytic poliomyelitis in schoolchildren in developing countries is about 1 per cent. Our aid programme includes provision of £300,000 during the financial years 1976–77 to 1978–79 inclusive towards the WHO's expanded programme of immunisation, which includes immunisation against poliomyelitis.