§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the prevalence of tuberculosis in Mali; and what action he is taking to assist in the treatment of people suffering from tuberculosis in Mali. [135205]
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§ Hilary BennAccording to the Malian National Campaign Against Tuberculosis, the number of reported tuberculosis cases in Mali has risen from 1,886 cases per year in 1995 to 2,757 in 2002. This is partly due to the prevalence of the disease among HIV/AIDS sufferers. The Malian Government have recently launched a fresh initiative to persuade tuberculosis patients to come forward for treatment.
DFID does not have a direct development assistance programme to Mali. Our assistance is mostly channelled through multilateral agencies, including the EC, and amounted to an estimated £12 million in 2001. However, DFID is playing a major role in supporting tuberculosis control worldwide. We support tuberculosis research programmes at the London and Liverpool Schools of Tropical Medicine, as well as providing significant contributions to the Medical Research Council and the World Health Organisation to tackle tuberculosis and other diseases. We have also committed US$280 million over seven years to the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). Decisions on which countries receive assistance are made on the basis of technical merit by the GFATM. Mali has not received support from GFATM for tuberculosis programmes, but will have another opportunity to apply in 2004.