Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the is Government taking to support Commonwealth governments to establish universal health coverage systems to ensure that children do not die from preventable diseases.

The UK is a strong advocate for the achievement of universal health coverage to ensure child survival, through strengthening health systems. DFID provides technical assistance and financial support directly to countries, including Commonwealth governments. The UK invests around £1 billion per year through bilateral aid programmes in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, and our support to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has contributed to the safe vaccination of over 700 million children.