23 September 2009
Up to 10 million people in the world's poorest countries will be provided with free healthcare through an international, £3.2 billion deal agreed today.
Meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the UK and other donors set out their commitment to supporting the scrapping of user fees for medical care in the developing world. People in Nepal, Malawi, Ghana and Sierra Leone will be among those to benefit.
International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said: "It is appalling that people are dying because they cannot afford the most basic healthcare. Poor health and poverty go hand-in-hand and so we must first improve people’s health if we are to improve their lives.
"This won’t happen overnight but we hope in the years ahead we will see a shift in approach that will revolutionise health services in the world’s poorest countries.”
As part of the deal, the UK also pledged £250 million to improve struggling health systems in developing countries. This is part of the £6 billion already committed by DFID to health programmes between 2008 and 2015.
Read the full press release
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A child is vaccinated against polio in Ghana
