AIDS activists urged the federal government to quickly update Canada’s support for infectious diseases abroad, warning that delays will further hinder global efforts to combat critical diseases.
“While some other countries around the world are retreating from investments in global health, Canada can and should move forward quickly to save lives,” said Justin McCauley, director of the Canadian branch in the Canadian campaign.
His group is 24 Canadian civil society organizations, requiring the government to allocate $1.37 billion to the Global Fund within three years to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The fund belongs to the United Nations and supports the restriction and treatment of three preventable diseases in developing countries, which is one of the leading causes of death in many regions.
Canada is one of the world’s largest supporters, and the fund forms the largest part of Ottawa’s global health spending. Canada has contributed nearly $5 billion to the Global Fund since 2002, which estimates it had saved $65 million in life by then.
Countries supplement the funds every three years, and their contributions often increase over time as health care systems enhance their ability to treat and prevent these diseases.
In each cycle, civil society groups issue what they call fair sharing indicators to reflect how much each wealthy country can reasonably commit to helping the fund achieve its goals.
The office of Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai submitted a request for CAD 1.37 billion to Canadian Global Affairs.
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“Canada is looking forward to part of the Global Fund Partnership to ensure successful access to the fund’s eighth resupply this year,” the department wrote in a statement. “Discussions on Canada’s commitments are underway.”
McCauley said he hopes Ottawa announces its commitment soon so that it can follow suit for other countries.
“Canada has a unique role and legacy in the global health sector,” he said. “Our momentum will mean something on the world stage – if we come out early, don’t wait for the last moment.”
The result of Canada’s results is another group that demands Ottawa’s civil society goals noted that Canada’s G7 summit in Alberta “focused on trade, conflict and climate – but ignored the two most powerful tools of global stability: health and education.”
The group argued in an email campaign that puts the Global Fund’s legacy “at threat.” “The hard benefits over decades continue to balance as countries cut international aid.”
The UN agency reported on July 10 that HIV infection and deaths continued to decline, but sudden cuts by the United States and others “threatening to reverse the progress of the response to HIV.”
U.S. Republicans recently reversed plans to cut Pepfar, the world’s largest HIV program, but Washington is still working to cut its contribution to the global fund.
The state usually makes commitments at organized meetings, such as the last cycle Justin Trudeau visited the United Nations in New York in 2022.
There were no commitment meetings this year, although Macaulay expects leaders of large economies to make commitments ahead of their visit to South Africa for the G20 summit in November.
He said global health has been under pressure from armed conflict, climate-related events, and the continued recovery of cuts to health systems during the 19th pandemic. Wealthy countries are reducing foreign aid because they increase military spending.
Prime Minister Mark Carney promised his election last spring to be reluctant to cut foreign aid spending or development financing, although this was before he reviewed government spending and committed large military-related spending.
McCauley said Carney should meet the indicators outlined by civil society or he would be offside with his two exes.
“Harper and Trudeau have stepped up and made a fair share of Canada,” he said. “Will Carney break this pattern now and take a step back?”
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
