§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 15 July 2003,Official Report, column 176W, on Iraq, which medical drugs are in short supply in Iraq; and in what quantities. [132417]
§ Hilary BennRecent assessments by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Iraqi Ministry of Health indicate that there are no major shortages of essential medical supplies in Iraq. There are however still reported shortages of some very specialised supplies such as antisera (eg anti snake venom) and some anti-cancer medicines. The supply of anti-tuberculosis medicines has improved after a period of shortage immediately after the war. Some health facilities have reported intermittent shortages of local anaesthetic, probably caused by periods of high demand.
New medicine supply systems in Iraq are not yet fully operational and clear data remains difficult to obtain. WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Health, Kimadia (the Iraqi medical supply distribution agency) and the CPA to address immediate shortages and to establish formulae for likely consumption rates of priority medicines.
§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether families who have lost their primary earners as a result of coalition forces' military action against Iraq have been identified as part of the process for prioritising targeted aid to Iraqi civilians. [133315]
§ Hilary BennDFID's policy is to provide assistance which responds to the needs of people, especially the poorest, irrespective of the causes of those needs. The main current form of support for vulnerable Iraqis is the Public Distribution System for food rations. DFID is providing assistance to the Ministry of Trade to ensure the continued smooth-running of the system. We are also assisting with plans to reform the system in the medium-term, with a view to ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable continue to be met.