May 20, 2014 - St. Paul/Winnipeg, Manitoba
Check against delivery
Good morning everyone.
Thank you for inviting me to be here.
As many of you know, maternal, newborn and child health is the centrepiece of our Government's international development policy.
Prime Minister Harper has been championing the health of women and children in developing countries since he launched the G-8 Muskoka Initiative on this issue in 2010.
A few weeks ago, he spoke to the media about the three-day Summit that he will be hosting in Toronto next week, called "Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm's Reach."
The Summit will bring together Canadian and international experts from all over the world to accelerate efforts on maternal, newborn and child health.
When asked why Canada was so engaged on this issue, Prime Minister Harper explained that this is something Canadians are passionate about.
That it is the right thing to do.
And, what's more, that it is doable.
You don't have to be a doctor or a health expert to agree with that statement.
The preventable deaths of mothers and children in developing countries are one of the greatest tragedies of the 21st century.
No mother should have to choose between herself and the health of her baby.
But the most recent data shows that more than 6 million children die before their fifth birthday.
And nearly 300,000 women die in pregnancy.
This is doubly tragic when we consider that most of these deaths could have been prevented with access to clean water, nutritious food, or the most basic health treatments.
We cannot stand idly by while women and young children in developing countries suffer deaths that are easily and inexpensively prevented.
That is why Prime Minister Harper galvanized global action to reduce maternal and child mortality rates through the Muskoka Initiative.
Thanks in part to the Muskoka Initiative, and subsequent global action, maternal mortality rates are declining.
And millions more children are celebrating their fifth birthday.
Our common goal has not yet been achieved - but it is within arm's reach.
Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law guide our principled foreign policy and we have a track record of concrete results.
Between 2010 and 2013, Canada's support has helped to provide:
- 5.8 million children with life-saving vaccinations;
- over 180 million children with two doses of Vitamin A each year – a key nutritional element for healthy development, immunity and eyesight; and
- close to 2 million pregnant women each year with iron and folic acid supplements to improve the outcomes of their pregnancies.
As a result, nutrition is improving.
The rates of disease are going down.
And more and better healthcare is available.
We can eliminate the preventable deaths of women, children and newborns, and save the millions of lives that hang in the balance.
Canadian organizations and health experts have played a crucial role in what we have achieved to date.
Dozens of Canadian organizations threw their weight and support behind the Muskoka Initiative.
Together, they formed the Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
We can all be proud of the work they have done around the world and of the leadership Canada has shown on the international stage.
But our job isn't done - not as long as lives are being needlessly lost.
Sometimes the threat faced by children is not death, but rather successfully continuing with their lives beyond the age of five—especially for girls.
Canada has been a strong advocate for gender equality and promoting education for girls, as well as child protection and eliminating child, early and forced marriage.
And we have learned that the longer girls stay in school, the more likely they are to have fewer and healthier children, and to earn a better income to support their families.
And yet, many girls do not go on to secondary school once they have completed primary education. Sometimes they are forced to marry early. Sometimes their help is needed at home to look after brothers and sisters.
And sometimes something as simple as the onset of menstruation ends their education. Lack of girls' washrooms and running water makes it too difficult for them to go on with their education.
Gender should not be a barrier to access to education. It is high time that attention is brought to these important health-related gaps.
UNICEF has long been Canada's partner and is the largest organization promoting the health and well-being of children.
And UNICEF has been working to improve hygiene in schools in developing countries, and to raise awareness among educators, parents, and children of girls' needs and their right to dignity—including separate bathrooms.
While UNICEF's focus has been mainly on improving access to clean water and sanitation, they are now turning their attention to the barriers girls around the world face to continue their education. Their goal is to remove obstacles to girls being able to continue their education.
That is why, today, I am pleased to announce that Canada will contribute $7.5 million to UNICEF's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools for Girls (WinS for Girls) in 12 developing countries, so that UNICEF can assess, measure and remove obstacles related to girls' school attendance.
The Government of Canada is proud to support UNICEF's initiative to improve needed health services and ensure successful futures for girls in the developing world.
Working in more than 100 schools in 12 countries, the project will also conduct interviews and collect data at the local, national and international levels.
This project will create solutions that can be applied in the rest of the 95 countries where UNICEF is engaged.
Canada's support will benefit 480,000 children by reducing social and physical barriers to their continued education.
Through this initiative and others, Canada will continue to push the health of mothers, newborns and children to the forefront of the global agenda.
And Canada will once again drive the world to action by hosting the high-level Summit on maternal, newborn and child health in Toronto later this month.
Saving the lives of women and children is not only a moral imperative – it is the foundation for building prosperous communities for this generation and the next.
This work reflects our most strongly held Canadian values.
And Canada will continue to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Thank you.
