Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that funding from the public purse is not allocated to programmes that support sex-selective abortion overseas.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK strongly opposes sex-selective abortion. We do not fund programmes which contribute directly or indirectly to sex-selective abortion. DFID has in place several measures to ensure the accountability of all UK aid, including our programmes that support access to safe abortion care. These include due diligence of all primary implementing partners, regular spot checks, a robust monitoring and evaluation system which includes beneficiary feedback and annual project reviews.
Sex-selective abortion is the result of deep-rooted discrimination against women and girls. The UK supports partner governments’ efforts to prevent this discrimination through our programmes to promote gender equality, girls’ and women’s empowerment and rights.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will appoint a Government champion to bring about the end of leprosy.
Answered by Wendy Morton
A key aim of the UK’s global health work is to support countries to build and maintain strong health systems, achieve universal health coverage, and to tackle all causes of ill health - working in close partnership with national governments. In September 2019 the UK’s flagship £220 million neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) programme was launched, which will provide treatment and care for NTDs to 200 million people. We have no current plans to appoint government champions on specific NTDs such as leprosy.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much funding has been allocated for the control and research of leprosy (a) since 2012 and (b) for the next five years.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
DFID’s research funding is allocated competitively mostly on the basis of open calls for proposals focussing on the need in Developing Countries. Three of our research programmes are dedicated to Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), one of which, the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs (COR-NTD), includes seven research projects that address leprosy with other diseases. Two of these proposals also include research on diagnostic approaches. With DFID funding, COR-NTD has also launched a specific call for proposals on leprosy research. We expect the evaluation of this call within the next four weeks. Current funding for COR-NTD is planned until 2021.
DFID does not have dedicated funding for leprosy control, but we support some programmes that include work on leprosy through UK Aid Direct. Additionally, some of our work on health system strengthening contributes to tackling leprosy. We do not disaggregate this funding by disease that would enable us to provide an actual figure. Details of all our funding is available on devtracker.dfid.gov.uk.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will allocate funding to support research to find a specific and sensitive rapid diagnostic test for leprosy.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
A key aim of the UK’s global health work is to support countries build and maintain strong health systems, and universal health coverage, to tackle all causes of ill health, working in close partnership with national governments. We do not plan to have strategies on specific neglected tropical diseases like leprosy.
UK aid is invested in several major neglected tropical disease (NTD) programmes, which are focused on building systems to treat and prevent Guinea worm, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, visceral leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma. These diseases were identified based on a detailed analysis of the burden of the disease, the UK’s comparative advantage in the area, and the availability and cost effectiveness of treatment and prevention.
In September 2019 in Liverpool, Baroness Sugg launched the UK’s flagship £220 million NTDs programme. This programme will provide treatment and care for NTDs to 200 million people. We continue to assess the inclusion of leprosy for each country where we operate NTD programming, taking into consideration the disease burden, other financial support available, and whether leprosy activities can be delivered cost-effectively in conjunction with other activities.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will allocate funding to develop diagnostic tests for leprosy that are (a) simple and effective to use in the field and (b) diagnose peripheral nerve involvement early.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
DFID’s research funding is allocated competitively mostly on the basis of open calls for proposals focussing on the need in Developing Countries. Three of our research programmes are dedicated to Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), one of which, the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs (COR-NTD), includes seven research projects that address leprosy with other diseases. Two of these proposals also include research on diagnostic approaches. With DFID funding, COR-NTD has also launched a specific call for proposals on leprosy research. We expect the evaluation of this call within the next four weeks. Current funding for COR-NTD is planned until 2021.
DFID does not have dedicated funding for leprosy control, but we support some programmes that include work on leprosy through UK Aid Direct. Additionally, some of our work on health system strengthening contributes to tackling leprosy. We do not disaggregate this funding by disease that would enable us to provide an actual figure. Details of all our funding is available on devtracker.dfid.gov.uk.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to allocate funding for leprosy research.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
DFID’s research funding is allocated competitively mostly on the basis of open calls for proposals focussing on the need in Developing Countries. Three of our research programmes are dedicated to Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), one of which, the Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs (COR-NTD), includes seven research projects that address leprosy with other diseases. Two of these proposals also include research on diagnostic approaches. With DFID funding, COR-NTD has also launched a specific call for proposals on leprosy research. We expect the evaluation of this call within the next four weeks. Current funding for COR-NTD is planned until 2021.
DFID does not have dedicated funding for leprosy control, but we support some programmes that include work on leprosy through UK Aid Direct. Additionally, some of our work on health system strengthening contributes to tackling leprosy. We do not disaggregate this funding by disease that would enable us to provide an actual figure. Details of all our funding is available on devtracker.dfid.gov.uk.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will hold discussions with (a) the UK's Leprologist and (b) leprosy NGO's to create a UK strategy for tackling global leprosy.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
A key aim of the UK’s global health work is to support countries build and maintain strong health systems, and universal health coverage, to tackle all causes of ill health, working in close partnership with national governments. We do not plan to have strategies on specific neglected tropical diseases like leprosy.
UK aid is invested in several major neglected tropical disease (NTD) programmes, which are focused on building systems to treat and prevent Guinea worm, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, visceral leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma. These diseases were identified based on a detailed analysis of the burden of the disease, the UK’s comparative advantage in the area, and the availability and cost effectiveness of treatment and prevention.
In September 2019 in Liverpool, Baroness Sugg launched the UK’s flagship £220 million NTDs programme. This programme will provide treatment and care for NTDs to 200 million people. We continue to assess the inclusion of leprosy for each country where we operate NTD programming, taking into consideration the disease burden, other financial support available, and whether leprosy activities can be delivered cost-effectively in conjunction with other activities.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will allocate additional funding to help eradicate leprosy throughout the developing world.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
A key aim of the UK’s global health work is to support countries build and maintain strong health systems, and universal health coverage, to tackle all causes of ill health, working in close partnership with national governments. We do not plan to have strategies on specific neglected tropical diseases like leprosy.
UK aid is invested in several major neglected tropical disease (NTD) programmes, which are focused on building systems to treat and prevent Guinea worm, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, visceral leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma. These diseases were identified based on a detailed analysis of the burden of the disease, the UK’s comparative advantage in the area, and the availability and cost effectiveness of treatment and prevention.
In September 2019 in Liverpool, Baroness Sugg launched the UK’s flagship £220m NTDs programme. This programme will provide treatment and care for NTDs to 200 million people. We continue to assess the inclusion of leprosy for each country where we operate NTD programming, taking into consideration the disease burden, other financial support available, and whether leprosy activities can be delivered cost-effectively in conjunction with other activities.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will commit to funding leprosy as a discrete disease within the Neglected tropical diseases programme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
A key aim of the UK’s global health work is to support countries build and maintain strong health systems, and universal health coverage, to tackle all causes of ill health, working in close partnership with national governments. We do not plan to have strategies on specific neglected tropical diseases like leprosy.
UK aid is invested in several major neglected tropical disease (NTD) programmes, which are focused on building systems to treat and prevent Guinea worm, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, visceral leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma. These diseases were identified based on a detailed analysis of the burden of the disease, the UK’s comparative advantage in the area, and the availability and cost effectiveness of treatment and prevention.
In September 2019 in Liverpool, Baroness Sugg launched the UK’s flagship £220m NTDs programme. This programme will provide treatment and care for NTDs to 200 million people. We continue to assess the inclusion of leprosy for each country where we operate NTD programming, taking into consideration the disease burden, other financial support available, and whether leprosy activities can be delivered cost-effectively in conjunction with other activities.
Asked by: Fiona Bruce (Conservative - Congleton)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to review the level of funding allocated from the public purse to programmes tackling neglected tropical diseases to ensure the control of leprosy.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
A key aim of the UK’s global health work is to support countries build and maintain strong health systems, and universal health coverage, to tackle all causes of ill health, working in close partnership with national governments. We do not plan to have strategies on specific neglected tropical diseases like leprosy.
UK aid is invested in several major neglected tropical disease (NTD) programmes, which are focused on building systems to treat and prevent Guinea worm, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, visceral leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis, and trachoma. These diseases were identified based on a detailed analysis of the burden of the disease, the UK’s comparative advantage in the area, and the availability and cost effectiveness of treatment and prevention.
In September 2019 in Liverpool, Baroness Sugg launched the UK’s flagship £220m NTDs programme. This programme will provide treatment and care for NTDs to 200 million people. We continue to assess the inclusion of leprosy for each country where we operate NTD programming, taking into consideration the disease burden, other financial support available, and whether leprosy activities can be delivered cost-effectively in conjunction with other activities.