October 5, 2006
(2006-28) News Release
Ottawa The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, today announced that Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), will allocate $5 million to immunize over seven million children living in Afghanistan. These funds will be allocated to the World Health Organization and UNICEF as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
"Afghan President Karzai asked us to help the people of Afghanistan by supporting the polio vaccination program when he visited Canada last month and Canada is answering the call," said Minister Verner. "Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, indigenous polio viruses have been eliminated in all but four countries around the world, including Afghanistan."
The GPEI seeks to eliminate polio so that no child will ever again suffer permanent polio paralysis. The conflict in southern Afghanistan has stymied vaccination of all children, resulting in a resurgence of the disease, especially in Kandahar and Helmand provinces. If left unchecked, polio could spread among millions of Afghan children and threaten to reverse progress in neighbouring countries that have already achieved polio-free status.
This announcement comes at a time when regular and costly polio vaccination campaigns must be carried out nationwide in response to an outbreak in the southern region. The GPEI will undertake this effort, targeting over seven million children between September 2006 and December 2007.
"Since 1988, the number of children paralyzed each year by polio worldwide has been reduced from more than 350,000 to less than 2,000 in 2005, but until polio is eliminated from every country, children everywhere remain at risk," added Minister Verner.
Afghanistan has made significant strides in its reconstruction, and Canada, through CIDA, is a leading partner in helping the Afghan people create an environment that will enable them to rebuild their lives and their livelihoods. Today's announcement is part of Canada's total contribution of nearly $1 billion over 10 years.
Please refer to the CIDA website for futher information about Canada's commitment to Afghanistan: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/afghanistan-e
- 30 -
Information:
Pascale St-Pierre
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: (819) 953-6534
Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: (819) 953-6534
E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca
