§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list(a) by project and (b) by country, the maternal health projects her Department supports. [64173]
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§ Clare ShortWe directly support maternal health projects and programmes in around 20 countries, mainly in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. A list will be placed in the Libraries of the House. It includes support for national safe motherhood programmes in Malawi and Nepal. It does not, however, include the maternal health work of multilateral organisations such as the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, the European Community and the World Bank, or international civil society groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation, all of which receive substantial support from the UK's Department for International Development.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of her Department's budget is allocated to improving maternal health in developing countries. [64177]
§ Clare ShortIn calendar year 1997, 3.6 per cent. of the UK overseas development assistance (£73 million) was invested in reproductive health, excluding expenditure through the EC and the World Bank, which we are unable to dis-aggregate. We estimate that around 15 per cent. of this spend was invested directly in reducing the dangers of pregnancy and childbirth. But clearly our spending on improving basic healthcare systems also benefit material health. We are reforming the Department's management information system to track all spending in relation to the International Development Goals. This will include a dedicated marker for contributions to reduced maternal mortality.