§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of vector-borne diseases in Iraq with particular reference to(a) malaria and (b) visceral leishmaniasis. [27764]
§ Mr. HanleyWe have not been invited to undertake an assessment of either malaria or visceral leishmaniasis in Iraq. An intensive spraying programme in northern Iraq, funded by the European Community, led to a dramatic decrease in malaria, from 65,000 cases in 1994 to 38,000 in 1995. No deaths have been reported. We understand that there are sufficient stocks of insecticide for 1996. Available information suggests that there was a decrease in leishmaniasis between 1992 and 1994—the last year for which we have information.