HC Deb 30 June 1988 vol 136 cc297-8W
Mr. Favell

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department is making in encouraging primary health care in the Third world.

Mr. Chris Patten

Developing country Governments have been told of our wish to focus on primary health care in our programme of assistance to the health and population sector. To carry forward this approach we have also initiated a programme of reviews of health needs in a number of these countries. Following discussions with the recipient country authorities, these reviews will form the basis for the development of our future bilateral assistance in this sector. Five reviews have already been completed and seven more are planned over the next 12 months.

Over the last 18 months my professional health advisers have visited 14 of the 16 countries with which we have significant health assistance programmes to discuss our primary health care policy and encourage requests for assistance.

In addition, we aim to fill a new health and population adviser post in the British development division in southern Africa in the autumn. This will facilitate the identification of further areas for effective assistance in the countries in the region.