Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her policy is on changing the wording of Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 from premature mortality to preventable mortality in order to include people aged over 70 within the scope of the goal; and what discussions she has had with (a) interested parties and (b) her counterparts in other countries on this matter.

The negotiations over the Sustainable Development Goals were concluded at the UN in August after much international discussion and will now be formally adopted at the UN General Assembly later this month. It is necessary that targets are able to draw on appropriate international measures and the language on premature mortality is consistent with the WHO Global Action Plan on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).