Vol. 517 No. 4
149 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will support the provision of insulin for the world's poorest countries having regard to an article (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10195/00]
Ireland Aid has a significant programme of support for the health sector in developing countries. This programme is informed by a specific health policy which is based on principles of international best practice in the field of development co-operation. In the interests of sustainable development Ireland Aid supports health initiatives only as part of a system wide programme that is directed at strengthening health services and delivering a health package that is shown to be effective and affordable.
In the past, many development agencies have provided financial support for specific health interventions in developing countries. Some of these, for example the eradication of smallpox, have clearly been successful. Others, such as programmes to decrease the high level of maternal mortality or address childhood malnutrition, have had very limited success. Many evaluations of donor funded health programmes in developing countries point to the fact that isolated donor funded initiatives have very limited impact if they are not directed at strengthening governments and non-governmental organisations to develop health services that can address prevalent health problems in a sustainable way.
Though insulin is an essential and highly effective medicine that has transformed the lives of many millions of people worldwide, if it is not administered correctly and where supportive services of a standard quality are not available, it can be an extremely dangerous medication. Consequently, contributing to the purchase of such a medication in the absence of attention to the required backup and support services could be counterproductive.
