Rochford and Southend East MP has spoken about the importance of investing in healthcare to fight drug-resistant diseases.

Along with international development charity, RESULT UK, James Duddridge visited health centre in Liberia, in the capital city of Monrovia and the surrounding rural areas, and met mothers who were vaccinating their new-born babies.

He also visited the only hospital in the entire country that treats cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis and spoke to the people undergoing the treatment.

Whilst there, he met with the country’s President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and the Minister of Health where they discussed the country’s lack of resources and difficult access to healthcare, particularly in remote areas of the country.

Mr Duddridge said: “The UK has been at the forefront of investing in global health organisations, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“It has been fantastic to see the vital health interventions funded by these organisations first-hand. For many, vaccinating their child is their first experience of a health centre.”

“Globally, 1.5 million children still die from vaccine preventable diseases and vaccine coverage is stalling. Tuberculosis, the world’s leading infectious killer, still claims 1.8 million deaths annually and the threat of drug-resistance is increasingly driving the epidemic

“The UK must continue to support countries to build sustainable health systems and invest in new tools to target emerging health threats, like drug resistance.”

Liberia was one of the worst hit country’s in the world by the Ebola virus.