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Development Aid: Maternity Services

Asked by Olly GloverLiberal DemocratForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled Answered 26 March 2026UIN 122021

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of providing funding for water, sanitation and hygiene services in maternity facilities on levels of (a) maternal and newborn mortality and (b) anti-microbial resistance.

Answered by Chris Elmore

The UK recognises the vital role that improving access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities plays in preventing maternal and infant deaths, tackling antimicrobial resistance, and safeguarding women and girls.

We work with a range of international partners on this agenda, from our long-standing partnership with the World Bank on its Water Strategy Implementation Plan to supporting individual governments overseas to improve access to WASH in healthcare facilities. Details of our total WASH sector spend for 2025 will be published in the normal way later this year.

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