Health: Tropical Diseases

Lord Strathclyde Excerpts

Thursday 26th January 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord McColl of Dulwich]

My Lords—

[Lord Strathclyde]

Let us hear from the noble Baroness.

[Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead]

Does the Minister agree that the distribution of drugs and the setting up of treatment programmes present a huge challenge in many of the countries where these neglected tropical diseases are endemic, where health systems are already struggling to provide even the most basic services? Would she also agree that a further challenge comes from meeting requirements to regulate a range of what will be new medical products and to evaluate their safety, their efficacy and their quality in very particular conditions, for instance in Africa? Will the Minister assure the House that funding will be provided to support efforts to strengthen health systems and to build capacity to regulate the new drugs?