November 16, 2012
Dr. Robert C. Dickson paints a distorted picture of Canada's commitments to reducing avoidable tuberculosis-related deaths in the developing world. While Dickson expresses concerns about funding to a single program, TB Reach, our government's primary goal is to reduce TB infections on the ground so those affected can lead healthy, more productive lives. To this end the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) continues to support the most effective initiatives that combat TB and are achieving tangible results.
In 2010, Canada announced a commitment of $540 million over three years to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). We believe an integrated approach to these diseases must be adopted to make a meaningful impact.
Our investments are doing just that. Canada's generous contribution to GFATM has made TB treatment accessible to 9.3 million people. As a part of CIDA's integrated approach, we have provided more than $100 million for TB Reach since 2010. TB Reach addresses gaps and bottlenecks in tuberculosis prevention, care and treatment for populations outside the traditional health system. With the support of Canada, TB Reach can potentially detect 140,000 more TB cases, saving 70,000 lives and preventing 1.4 million infections.
CIDA has contributed directly to strengthening TB control to ensure under-serviced areas in the developing world have access to cost-effective TB treatment, care and support. No single organization has a monopoly on CIDA funds. On TB, and all our development priorities, we will partner with the most effective and efficient organizations to get the job done.
Julian Fantino
Minister of International Cooperation
