Written question asked by Mohammad Sarwar (Labour) on Thursday, 15 October 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 21 October 2009. It was answered by Michael John Foster (Labour) on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Maternal and Child Mortality

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance his Department gives in (a) drafting and (b) implementing national plans for the reduction of maternal, newborn and child mortality in countries in receipt of aid from his Department.

Answer: Maternal and child health is a priority for the Department for International Development (DFID). In Africa and Asia we work closely with partner governments in developing national health plans to tackle maternal and child health and deliver better services for the poorest.At the UN General Assembly, we pledged £100 million to assist Nepal, Malawi, Ghana, Liberia, Burundi and Sierra Leone to expand access to free health care. This will save millions of women and children's lives.

Secondary information