To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to her answer of 4 December 2002, Official Report, column 854W, on the Central African Republic, what action is being taken to tackle the shortage of medical supplies. [98582]

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in the Central African Republic (CAR) has now provided the health ministry with vaccines to enable it to continue routine immunisations in health facilities. The vaccines are to combat tuberculosis (TB), yellow fever, diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough (DTW) and measles.The nationwide immunisation campaign, initially scheduled to start by mid-December 2002, has not yet begun due to the ongoing conflict between government forces and rebels.