§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made in Kosovo of(a) health services and indications and (b) education services. [100014]
§ Clare ShortKosovo's health indicators are amongst the worst in Europe, following years of neglect to health services, the exclusion of the majority Albanian population from formal healthcare under the Milosevic regime, and serious damage to facilities during the 1999 conflict.
Since 1999, the international community has invested [...]92 million in the reconstruction of Kosovo's health care facilities. The UN administration has established a basic framework for the delivery of health services. This responsibility has now been transferred to Ministry of Health of the elected Provisional Institutions of Self Government.
My department has invested heavily in the improvement of Kosovo's health services, providing extensive emergency assistance during the immediate post-conflict phase, and a subsequent [...]11 million as technical assistance and infrastructure development. We now plan to launch a [...]1.6 million programme to boost the capacity of the Ministry of Health to meet these challenges. In addition, we have contributed approximately [...]7.8 million through the European Commission's health programmes since 1999.
946WEducation services were similarly disrupted during the Milosevic years and the eventual conflict. There is some evidence that access to education has improved markedly since the conflict ended, with the total number of children attending school rising by 42 per cent. since 1998, and the total number of university students rising by 19 per cent. My department does not provide direct support for education services in Kosovo, as this sector is already well provided for by other donors, including the World Bank and the Canadian and German governments.