§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the aims of the sexual and maternal health programme in Malawi are; how much funding has been provided to it by the Department in 2003; what assessment has been made of the programme since 2002; and if he will make a statement. [131640]
§ Hilary Benn:The aim of reproductive health programmes in Malawi is to improve sexual and reproductive health for all men, women and children especially among the poor and vulnerable groups; and to reduce death and chronic ill health of women as a result of childbirth. DFID's total financial commitment to reproductive health in Malawi is £59.7 million for 110W programmes that are currently being implemented. Of this, £6.7 million was spent in fiscal year 2002–03 and another £5.3 million in the first five months of the current fiscal year.
The Malawi Ministry of Health and Population conducted a joint review in November 2002 with DFID and other development partners of the programmes that they support. The review reported some progress in all activities, but also noted that there were factors beyond the control of the programmes that inhibited progress. These included critical shortage of health personnel, under-resourced working environment, and the rising impact of HIV/AIDS. The international financial institutions and donors including DFID are working with the Malawi Government to address the underlying issues, such as wage policy and macro economic management, that cause the problems affecting the health sector.
§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the Department gave in support of the Russian Family Planning Association in 2003; what percentage that represents of the total expenditure for population reproductive health programmes; if he will list the activities of the Russian Family Planning Association in 2003; and if he will make a statement. [131639]
Mr. Gareth Thomas:DFID has given no money in support of the Russian Family Planning Association (RFPA) in 2003; its last project with the RFPA finished in June 2002 and no further assistance is planned. This therefore represents 0 per cent. of total expenditure for population reproductive health services. The RFPA supports a range of activities on advocacy for reproductive health and rights, including training for health personnel, social workers and teachers and the provision of information and education, particularly for young people, through the development of its network of regional branches.
§ Angus RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what population reproductive health programmes are directly run by the Department in(a)Africa, (b)South and Central America, (c)the Middle East, (d)Central and Eastern Europe, (e)Asia and (f)Oceania; what changes have taken place since 2002; and if he will make a statement. [131641]
Mr. Gareth Thomas:A list of projects and programmes over £1 million with a policy marker for reproductive health services or HIV/Aids run by DFID's country or regional programmes is at Annex A. Those started after 2002 are shown in italic.
DFID spent over £270 million on reproductive health and HIV/Aids programmes in financial year 2002–03. We regard reproductive health as an essential and inseparable element of good health. We believe that the best way to deliver this is for people to be given the right, freedom and support necessary to enable them to take 111W full individual and personal control of their own fertility and reproductive health. Reproductive health continues to be a key priority for DFID and we remain firmly
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Annex A Project title Recipient Social Marketing of contraceptives Ethiopia Ghana HIV/AIDS programme Ghana Reproductive Health, Freetown and Newly Accessible Areas Sierra Leone Life Planning Education Nigeria Strengthening Nigeria's Response to HIV/AIDs Nigeria Promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health for HIV/AIDS Reduction Nigeria Partnership for Transforming Health Systems Nigeria Safe Motherhood Partnership Fund Kenya HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Project I and II Kenya Social Marketing of Condoms Kenya HIV/AIDS Umbrella Programme Uganda Health Sector Programme Tanzania Family Planning Services and Supply Phase 2 Tanzania HIV/AIDS MSF Bridging South Africa, Republic of Provincial reproductive Health South Africa. Republic of HIV/Aids Framework Support South Africa, Republic of Soul City South Africa, Republic of National Sexual and Reproductive Health South Africa, Republic of HIV/AIDS and Maternal Health Programme Mozambique Social Marketing of Condoms (PSI) Mozambique Zambia HIV/AIDS Programme Zambia Reproductive Health Support Zambia Sexual and Reproductive Health-Phase 2 (FA) Zimbabwe Social Marketing Project Zimbabwe Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme (SERPS) Malawi Banja La Mtsogolo—Sexual Health Programme Malawi Soul City Regional Programme Southern Africa Regional HIV/AIDS Southern Africa Regional AIDS Programme Southern Africa Contraceptives Supply and Logistics Bolivia Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Central America Support to the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) for the Prevention and Control of HIV/Aids Caribbean Comprehensive partnership strategies for HIV/STI Prevention among Young People in the Russian Russian Federation Federation Knowledge for Action in HIV Russian Federation Open Health Institute: Harm Reduction Bridging Project Russian Federation Development of a Public Health-Based Approach to Sexually-Transmitted Diseases in Samara, including HIV Prevention in Togliatti Russian Federation HIV Prevention among Vulnerable Populations in Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro and Western Balkan Region UPMRC Women's Health Project West Bank and Gaza Contraceptive Social Marketing Pakistan Marie Stopes International: Sindh Rep-oductive Health Services Project Pakistan National AIDS Control Programme Phase II: DFID Support India Reproductive Health Project, Orissa India Reproductive Health Programme Nepal West Bengal Reproductive and Child Health Project India Rights-based response to HIV/AIDS Nepal Marie Stopes CS Reproductive Health Care Bangladesh Strategic Investment in HIV/AIDS Prevention Bangladesh HIV/ AIDS Programme CARE Bangladesh Bangladesh Preventing HIV/AIDS: Social Marketing of Condoms Vietnam Strengthening Response to HIV/AIDS Cambodia Health Sector Support Cambodia HIV/AIDS Project China Programme for HIV/AIDS: Myanmar Burma Social Marketing of Condoms II Cambodia PSI—HIV and Reproductive Health Burma Innovations for HIV/AIDS Asia Regional HIV/AIDS Prevention in Asia Asia Regional committed to the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) target of achieving access to reproductive health for all by 2015.
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§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the Department is giving to the Central American regional programme for improving sexual and reproductive health services; what percentage of the Department's 2003 expenditure for population reproductive health programmes that represents; and if he will make a statement. [131645]
Mr. Gareth Thomas:DFID spent £800,000 from its Central America country and regional programmes in UK financial year 2002–03 on improving reproductive health. In addition DFID provides support for reproductive health through contributions to multilateral organisations and to non-governmental organisations, which cannot be broken down in this way.
DFID spent over £270 million on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programmes in financial year 2002–03. We regard reproductive health as an essential and inseparable element of good health. We believe that the best way to deliver this is for people to be given the right, freedom and support necessary to enable them to take full individual and personal control of their own fertility and reproductive health. Reproductive health continues to be a key priority for DFID and we remain firmly committed to the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) target of achieving access to reproductive health for all by 2015.
£ Projects Purpose Project allocation
Actual spend in financial
year 2002–03
1. Development of a public health-based approach to sexually transmitted diseases and
treatment in Samara including Togliatti
To develop sustainable, high-quality STD services in Samara and disseminate successful approaches at
federal level; and to reduce HIV transmission and
associated risk behaviour among injecting drug users in
Togliatti City
1,000,000 115,750 2. Open Health Institute: harm reduction bridging project
To reduce the transmission of HIV among injecting drug users and commercial sex workers in the 43 Open
Health Institute-supported harm reduction sites in the
Russian Federation
4,200,000 1,396,258 3. Knowledge for Action for HIV/AIDS in the Russian Federation.
To contribute to the knowledge needed to guide effective policy and intervention on HIV prevention in
the Russian Federation
1,500,000 228,495 4. Comprehensive partnership strategies for HIV/STI prevention among young people in
the Russian Federation
To reduce the incidence of HIV/STIs among young people, especially girls and young women, by ensuring
the availability of and access to information, education,
health services, counselling for HIV testing and
commodities required for young people to develop and
exercise effective life skills
1,125,000 38,536 The European Commission, through the TACIS programme, is supporting two large-scale projects on HIV/AIDS prevention:
- a) HIV/AIDS Prevention and Combating: the project allocation is Euro 2,500,000;
- b) Preventive Health and Education: the project allocation is Euro 3,000,000.
DFID contributes approximately 20 per cent. of these project budgets through its funding to the European Commission.
114WDFID support for reproductive health is wide ranging. It covers HIV/AIDS programmes, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and maternal and adolescent health. Reproductive health also encompasses the services for family planning, contraception and childbearing that make an important contribution to increasing women's choice and opportunity and to preventing unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. Family planning services also provide an important opportunity to improve sexual health and in particular to increase women's access to methods that help prevent HIV infection. DFID's total expenditure for 2002–03 cannot therefore be apportioned between HIV/AIDS and Family Planning, as many reproductive health programmes and projects contribute to both objectives (for example through the provision of information on family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention or the provision of condoms).
§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Department has given to the sexually transmitted disease programme in the Russian Federation in 2003; what percentage of the Department's total expenditure for population reproductive health programmes that represents; and if he will make a statement. [131796]
Mr. Gareth Thomas:DFID has supported four projects related to the control of sexually transmitted diseases in the Russian Federation in financial year 2002–03. A particular priority is the prevention of HIV transmission among vulnerable groups, including injecting drug users and commercial sex workers.
DFID spent over £270 million on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programmes in financial year 2002–03. Spending on projects related to these issues in the Russian Federation in the same financial year accounted for less than 1 per cent. of the total.
I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his question ref. 131645 for a general statement of DFID's policies on sexual and reproductive health issues.
§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the aims are of the HIV/AIDS and reproductive health programme in 115W Zambia; how much funding has been provided to it by his Department in 2003; what assessment has been made of the programme since 2002; and if he will make a statement. [131797]
§ Hilary Benn:DFID is committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS and to giving people a choice in the number of children they have. Our support for HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health is wide ranging, covering HIV/ AIDS programmes, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and maternal and adolescent health. Reproductive health also encompasses family planning and contraception services that make an important contribution to increasing women's choice and opportunity, and to preventing unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. DFID has a number of programmes in Zambia, which address these issues.
The DFID Reproductive Health Support Project aims to increase access to, and use of, condoms and contraceptives, and to secure improvements in the availability of family planning services provided at health centres and hospitals. The Project was approved in 2001 and will provide £2.9 million over three years. We expect to spend £1.579 million in financial year 2003–04. Annual DFID internal assessments of the Reproductive Health Support Project have been made and these, and other external reports and surveys, reveal an encouraging increase in accessing reproductive health facilities and commodities.
A new DFID/Zambia HIV/AIDS Programme has just been approved (June 2003). It aims to provide an effective national multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS by reducing HIV/STD transmission and the socioeconomic impact of the disease. The Programme is supported by many donors. The DFID component of the Programme will provide £20 million over five years. We expect to spend £0.675 million in financial year 2003–04 and £4.265 million in financial year 2004–05.
In addition to the above, DFID provides general support to the health sector in Zambia under a Sector Wide Approach Project (SWAP), which was approved in 2000, and will provide £20 million over six years. We expect to spend £6.068 million in financial year 2003–04.
§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what sums were donated to the United Nations Family Planning Agency's Contraceptive Commodity Support programme in 2003; and if he will make a statement. [131801]
§ Hilary Benn:The UK is providing £18 million core funding to UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) in 2003. This helps to support UNFPA's work to assist developing countries meet reproductive health commodity needs. No new contribution was made by DFID to the UNFPA's Contraceptive Commodity support programme in 2003. Various activities at country level continue to be funded until the end of 2003, utilising the balance from a £25 million one-off contribution to the programme made in January 2001.
§ Angus Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Department has given to (a)the health and sexual education programme in Bolivia, (b)the Orissa Reproductive Health Project in India and (c)the reproductive health programme in Peru in 2003; what percentage each 116W represents of the Department's expenditure for population reproductive health programmes; and if he will make a statement. [131802]
Mr. Gareth Thomas:The following are the figures for bilateral expenditure by DFID on these programmes in UK financial year 2002–03, the latest year for which figures are available:
Programme £ million (a)Bolivia Health and Sexual Education Programme 10 (b)Orissa Reproductive Health Project, India 0.6 (c)Peru Reproductive Health Programme 0.1 1The programme has been completed. In addition, the Department spent £0.69 million on Contraceptives Supply and Logistics in Bolivia, £0.13 million on the Andean Reproductive Health Initiative in Bolivia and Peru in 2002–03, £0.11 million on the Strategic Pilot Project in Sexual and Reproductive Health and £0.21 million on the Bolivia Post Abortion Care Project. These figures do not include any support provided through contributions to multilateral or nongovernmental organisations, which are not broken clown on a sectoral basis.
DFID spent over £270 million on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS programmes in financial year 2002–03. We regard reproductive health as an essential and inseparable element of good health. We believe that the best way to deliver this is for people to be given the right, freedom and support necessary to enable them to take full individual and personal control of their own fertility and reproductive health. Reproductive health continues to be a key priority for DFID and we remain firmly committed to the 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) target of achieving access to reproductive health for all by 2015.
DFID support for reproductive health is wide ranging. It covers HIV/AIDS programmes, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and maternal and adolescent health. Reproductive health also encompasses the services for family planning, contraception and childbearing that make an important contribution to increasing women's choice and opportunity and to preventing unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. Family planning services also provide an important opportunity to improve sexual health, and in particular, to increase women's access to methods that help prevent HIV infection. DFID's total expenditure for 2003–03 cannot therefore be apportioned between HIV/AIDS and family planning, as many reproductive health programmes and projects contribute to both objectives (for example, through the provision of information on family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention or the provision of condoms).