Maternal Mortality (Hansard, 20 January 2004)

§ Hilary Benn

The Department for International Development makes significant contributions to UNFPA, UNICEF, the World Bank and other international and national civil society groups to support their efforts to improve maternal health

For the period July 2002 to June 2005, DFID has contributed £300 million per year (10.14 per cent. of total donor contributions) to the World Bank. In 2003, the percentage share of IDA's total lending on health and other social services was 19 per cent. ($1.4 billion). DFID country based offices work closely with the World Bank in financing and developing the health sector with country governments

The Department provided £12.5 million in 2003 to WHO international programmes, including support for their "Making Pregnancy Safer" Programme. This programme is providing technical support to countries to disseminate and apply evidence-based policy and practice in maternal health, particularly on skilled attendance, management of complications, and strengthening health systems. This includes work with government on regulatory frameworks that better support women's health, on training programmes for skilled attendance and on translating national maternal health strategies into provincial and district plans and 1147W budgets. The programme is also carrying out research to support its work, for example, on links between maternal and newborn health and poverty.

DFID is represented on the steering committee of the Partnership for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health together with the World Bank, the WHO, UNICEF,UNFPA, and other organisations. The Partnership aims to raise awareness of the extent and consequences of maternal deaths and ill health, disseminate lessons learnt, and encourage action to help vulnerable populations. DFID will be monitoring the impact that its contribution makes to global partnerships, including the Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Partnership.

DFID gave UNFPA £18 million in 2003. UNFPA plays an important role in providing the widest achievable range of safe and effective family planning and contraceptive methods, including condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS. UNFPA is putting in place a medium term strategic plan, which seeks to enhance its organisational effectiveness. The UNFPA programme focuses on family planning, skilled attendance at birth and emergency obstetrics to prevent maternal mortality.Reproductive health and rights continue to be a key priority area for DFID and we remain firmly committed to the 1994 ICPD target of achieving access to reproductive health for all by 2015. We have continued to lobby hard for reproductive rights in international fora, and we work closely with partners such as the United Nations Population Fund.

DFID supports UNICEF's Medium Term Strategic Plan and in 2003 we provided £17 million in core resources. UNICEF implements programmes aimed at reducing maternal mortality. Achievements in this area during 2002 were: In 58 countries with high child and maternal mortality and morbidity rates, UNICEF implemented an integrated approach to early childhood development that linked national policies,the provision of basic services (preventive health, nutrition, safe water, sanitation and hygiene), and improved family care practices for young children and mothers. Improved families' access to insecticide-treated mosquito nets,anti-malarial and other essential drugs, and micro-nutrient supplements in 44 countries, primarily in Africa. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to malaria. Strengthened capacity for safe delivery, including training of obstetricians and birth attendants, provision of birth kits and equipment. A strategy for emergency obstetric care was successfully implemented in the six South Asian countries where most of the world's maternal deaths occur. Improved access for HIV-infected mothers and their partners to antiretroviral therapy (in conjunction with other UN agencies).