I’M very pleased to see the UK now rightfully deciding to play a much bigger role in the fight against Ebola.

However, the tragedy of the situation that has developed over the past few months hugely underlines the fragility of healthcare systems in so many of the world’s poorest countries - and why we need to invest in long-term action to support and strengthen them.

This is an issue I have felt passionately about for many years, and one that I worked on with Oxfam and at DFID.

The horror and tragedy we are currently seeing unfold is just one of many consequences of a collective failure to address global healthcare inequalities - and let's not forget that it is not just Ebola.

The people of West Africa have seen malaria, HIV/Aids, TB, maternal and childhood disease - and more - cut short lives, and hope, for far too long.

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This week I voted in Parliament for a motion which called for the recognition of the state of Palestine.

As someone who worked on the humanitarian and human rights consequences of the ongoing conflict before entering parliament with both Oxfam and World Vision, this is an issue I care deeply about.

I fully support two states living side by side in peace, and recognised by all of their neighbours, and it is clear that the events of recent months only underline the dangers for both Palestinians and Israelis of a resumption of violence and bloodshed.

The events in Gaza in particular have been a tragedy and humanitarian catastrophe and I have spoken out on a number of occasions on this in Parliament.

I remain of the firm view that this longstanding conflict will only be resolved through negotiations and ambitious peace-making efforts on all sides and at all levels.

However after decades of diplomatic failure there are those on all sides that today question whether a two-state solution is any longer possible.

That is why I believe that the international community must take concrete steps to strengthen and support moderate opinion in Palestinian politics and society, to encourage all parties to reject the path of violence and instead take the path of politics, and rekindle hopes that there is a credible route to a secure (and viable) Palestinian state and a secure Israel.

Palestinian recognition is not a means of bypassing the need for talks, but a bridge for restarting them.