The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of building strong and resilient health systems to protect against health threats, achieve universal health coverage and ending the preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children. We are supporting health systems to manage the primary and secondary impacts of the pandemic by flexing our funding and programming. This builds on our long-term investments to strengthen and scale up health systems through: technical assistance and financial support directly to countries; supporting the World Health Organisation, global health initiatives and other agencies to provide technical assistance and programmes; and funding research and new products that increase access and reduce prices for essential health commodities.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4358", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wendy Morton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Aldridge-Brownhills"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Wendy Morton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-05-01T13:54:30.967Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Developing Countries: Health Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she is taking to (a) support and (b) scale-up local health systems in the Global South.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4603", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Edgbaston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Preet Kaur Gill"} ], "uin" : "39726"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1190102", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1190102/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK Government is deeply concerned about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on low-income developing countries. In this time of crisis, it is vital that creditors work together to ensure that countries especially vulnerable to the pandemic are able to protect their citizens and economies.<\/p>
The UK, alongside the G20 and the Paris Club of official creditors has committed to a temporary suspension of debt service repayments from the poorest countries.<\/p>
The G20 has called on the private sector to participate and the UK is working with the Paris Club and Institute of International Finance, which represents nearly 450 financial services institutions from over 70 countries, to ensure a coordinated approach to comparable treatment.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1559", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir James Duddridge"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rochford and Southend East"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "James Duddridge"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-05-01T15:35:06.863Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Developing Countries: Health Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with private creditors on cancelling the debt repayments of countries in the global south to enable those countries to focus their finances on resourcing their health systems.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4603", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Edgbaston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Preet Kaur Gill"} ], "uin" : "39729"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1190299", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1190299/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK has, so far, pledged £744 million of UK aid to help end the COVID-19 pandemic, in support of the coordinated international response through the international financing institutions, multilaterals and global health initiatives, and DFID programmes. This is to meet the urgent health, humanitarian and economic needs of vulnerable people in developing countries and to support developing new vaccines, diagnostics and treatments.<\/p>
The UK continues to champion universal health coverage (UHC) as vital to ensuring access to quality essential services for all and helping to protect everyone from infectious diseases, including COVID-19. UHC includes ensuring that no one is impoverished through paying for health services and reducing financial barriers for essential services, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4358", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wendy Morton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Aldridge-Brownhills"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Wendy Morton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-05-01T13:53:48.19Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Developing Countries: Health Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that charges for healthcare are not a barrier to the treatment of covid-19 in developing countries.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4267", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Champion"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rotherham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Champion"} ], "uin" : "39671"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1190300", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1190300/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK government\u2019s commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children by 2030 is more essential now than ever given the COVID-19 outbreak. DFID is stepping up efforts to ensure sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health services continue to be prioritised in our response to the pandemic, to stop mothers and babies dying unnecessarily.<\/p>
We are funding and working with agencies such as the World Health Organisation, UN Population Fund, the Partnership for Maternal New-born and Child Health and the Global Financing Facility (GFF) to support governments to maintain health systems in affected countries, provide technical guidance and advocate for sustained reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health services. This includes filling essential supply chain gaps and supporting frontline health workers. The UK supported the GFF Investors Group last week in calling for strong, collective action to avoid a potential secondary health crisis from disruptions in health services from COVID-19.<\/p>
The Global Vaccine Summit in June is also seeking to raise at least US $7.4 billion for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance 2021 \u2013 2025 strategy. The UK has committed £1.65 billion, the equivalent of £330 million per year, to support Gavi\u2019s goal to immunise a further 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4358", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wendy Morton"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Aldridge-Brownhills"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Wendy Morton"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-05-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-05-01T13:51:48.883Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Developing Countries: Health Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that critical services to prevent (a) maternal, (b) newborn and (c) child deaths in developing countries are maintained during the covid-19 pandemic.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4267", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Champion"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rotherham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Champion"} ], "uin" : "39672"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }