Canada supporting efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of those in greatest need in the conflict-affected areas of the Philippine island of Mindanao
September 2, 2014 – Kamloops, BC - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
Today, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Western Economic Diversification, Cathy McLeod announced, on behalf of the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Canadian support to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help the most vulnerable in the Philippines.
The announcement was made prior to a roundtable with local stakeholders and members of the Filipino community to discuss the way forward to continue to improve the lives of mothers and their children in the developing world. This meeting was part of the consultations announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm’s Reach Summit which took place in Toronto from May 28-30, 2014.
“Canada is making a difference in the lives of people around the world,” said PS McLeod. “The contribution announced today builds on this work by supporting efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of those in greatest need in the conflict-affected areas of the Philippine island of Mindanao.”
Today’s roundtable focused on how to ensure that global commitments deliver real results to those in need while remaining accountable to Canadian taxpayers. Canada is committed to scaling up interventions that will have the greatest impact focusing in the areas of strengthening health systems, improving nutrition, and reducing the burden of leading diseases.
“Canada is a global leader in improving maternal newborn and child health,” said Minister Paradis. “By working with partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, we are helping to build prosperous communities support vulnerable women and children can live healthy and productive lives.”
Thanks to Canadian leadership and subsequent global action, maternal mortality rates are declining and millions more children are celebrating their fifth birthday. Recognizing there is much more work to be done, Prime Minister Harper hosted the Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm’s Reach Summit in Toronto in 2014. At the Summit, Canada committed an additional $3.5 billion to continue support through to 2020, and reaffirmed global consensus on a shared commitment to end the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children under the age of five within a generation.
Sandrine Périon
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-6238
sandrine.perion@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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