§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to launch any specific programme to aid those regions of Central Africa where the HIV infection rate appears to exceed 30 per cent. of the population.
§ Mr. WaldegraveAccording to the World Health Organisation, no country in Africa is known to have an HIV infection rate of 30 per cent. or more in the general population.
Subject to parliamentary approval, we shall contribute a further £4.5 million to the WHO's global programme on AIDS in 1990, bringing the total committed so far to £16.83 million. All countries in Africa collaborating with the WHO benefit from this contribution. In addition, we have agreed to provide £6 million so far through WHO to national A IDs programmes in 10 countries in Africa where we can build on our existing health assistance programmes. We stand ready to help further where we can and where countries can absorb more assistance.