To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of access to healthcare for children in Zambia; and if he will make a statement. (131422)

DFID works with other bilateral and multilateral partners to support the Government of Zambia in making its own assessments of healthcare.

These assessments show that:

Immunisation coverage is increasing (defined as fully immunised by age 1) and has risen from 80 per cent. in 2004 to 87 per cent. in 2006.¹

The prevalence of underweight children is also declining. 17 per cent. of children were defined as underweight in 2004, but in 2006 this had fallen to 14 per cent.²

Infant mortality (deaths under the age of one) has seen a decline from 109 per 1,000 in 1996, to 95 per 1000 in 2002.³

Child mortality (deaths under the age of five) has also seen a decline from 197 per 1000 in 1996, to 168 per 1000 in 2002.⁴

Access to AIDS treatment (antiretroviral drugs) for children has also increased, with 7,500 children currently on treatment. This represents 10 per cent. of all those on AIDS treatment in Zambia today. The Zambian Government's goal is that 15 per cent. of all those on antiretroviral treatment should be children.⁵

Sources:

¹ Zambia's Health Management Information System - Ministry of Health 2007.

² Zambia's Health Management Information System - Ministry of Health 2007

³ Demographic and Health Survey 1996 and 2002

⁴ Demographic and Health Survey 1996 and 2002

⁵ UNAIDS 2007