Harper Government to significantly increase funds to leverage Canadians’ expertise and innovation in improving the health and saving the lives of the most vulnerable women and children
November 5, 2014 – Ottawa, Ontario – Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
Today, in his address to the annual general meeting of the Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (CAN-MNCH), the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, launched a call for proposals from eligible Canadian organizations that will contribute to Canada’s top international development priority of saving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable mothers and their children.
“The Harper government is committed to ending the preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children under the age of five within a generation,” said Minister Paradis. “The Partnerships for Strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health call for proposals is an opportunity to leverage Canadians’ expertise and innovation in improving the health of mothers and children in developing countries and ultimately deliver on this commitment. We look forward to working with our Canadian partners to further our country’s leadership on MNCH.”
The Partnerships for Strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health call for proposals, valued at $370 million, sets aside nearly five times more resources for Canadian partners than the Muskoka Initiative Partnership Program. It will fund initiatives for as long as five years that will help reduce maternal and child mortality and improve women’s and children’s health in 40 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The focus will be on strengthening health systems, reducing the burden of disease, improving nutrition, and ensuring accountability for results.
Canada is a global leader in ending preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children in the developing world. This call for proposals reinforces Canada’s leadership. Today’s announcement seizes on momentum generated at the 69th Session of the United General Assembly in New York City in September 2014 and the Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm’s Reach summit in Toronto in May 2014, and builds on results achieved through the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, launched by Canada at the G-8 Summit in 2010. Thanks to Canadian leadership and subsequent global action, maternal mortality rates are declining and millions more children are celebrating their fifth birthday.
The call for proposals announced today is a first step in Canada’s renewed MNCH collaboration with Canadian partners, and follows through on the commitment made by Prime Minister Harper at the Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm’s Reach summit. Over the next five years, there will be many more opportunities for Canadian organizations to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their experience as we accelerate our bilateral efforts in shaping and delivering on Canada’s top development priority.
“I am proud of the success of our partnership with Canadian organizations through the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health,” said Minister Paradis. “Millions of lives have been saved through better nutrition, immunizations, health worker training, micronutrient supplements, and more. Communities in the developing world will be stronger and more prosperous because of Canada’s leadership in saving the lives of mothers and children.”
Partners and those interested in this and future calls for proposals are encouraged to visit the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada website and subscribe to the RSS feeds to get the most up-to-date information.
Over the coming months, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada will also be working with the Canadian Network for MNCH to maximize the participation of Canadian organizations contributing to maternal, newborn and child health projects in our bilateral programs.
Maxime Robert
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
343-203-6238
maxime.robert@international.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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