Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans he has to help support nursing provision in low and middle-income countries.

Health workers, including nurses, are essential to build strong health systems and achieve universal health coverage. DFID will support nursing provision through our new health partnerships programme, which includes £5 million of grants to train and upskill nurses and midwives specifically. DFID also assists countries to invest in their health workers to improve health services. For example, we have supported over 7,000 nurses and midwives in Kenya to be trained in emergency obstetric and new-born care which has led to a 10% reduction in maternal deaths.