Canada is committed to leveraging the expertise and innovation of Canadian partners to help improve the health and save the lives of women, newborns and children in developing countries.
National Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay announced the successful organizations based in British Columbia selected through the Partnerships for Strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PSMNCH) call for proposals.
British Columbia-based organizations will be delivering initiatives aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality and improving women’s and children’s health in developing countries.
The PSMNCH call for proposals was launched in November 2014 with a value of as much as $370 million over five years (2015–2020). The call included two streams: Stream 1 for initiatives of less than $20 million and Stream 2 for initiatives of $20 million or more.
Due to the strong response to the call for proposals and expertise demonstrated in the submissions received, the total value of the selected projects under the PSMNCH call for proposals is more than $420 million—an increase of more than $50 million from what was originally announced at the time of the launch.
Funding for the call for proposals is part of Canada’s $3.5-billion commitment to improve the health of mothers, newborns and children around the world announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm’s Reach global summit in Toronto in May 2014.
The new initiatives are aligned with Canada’s Forward Strategy on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health for 2015–2020, with a focus on strengthening health systems, reducing the burden of disease, improving nutrition, and ensuring accountability for results.
The selected initiatives will build on the concrete results already achieved in MNCH. They will help increase access to healthy and nutritious food, improve access to high-quality health services and deliver multiple health interventions that will help reduce the deaths of mothers, newborns and children around the world.
Below is a list of the selected lead organizations in British Columbia and their successful initiatives:
Global Aid Network
The $3.6-million Benin and Togo MNCH initiative will help build and sustain MNCH in rural communities in Benin and Togo through the delivery of multiple, complementary health interventions. The initiative will improve access to clean water, provide training in healthy practices and gender equality, and increase absorption and consumption of nutritious foods by mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under the age of five. The initiative will contribute to strengthening health systems, reducing disease and improving nutrition.
Geospatial/SALASAN Consulting Inc.
The $3.9-million Technology for Maternal and Child Health initiative aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in 15 districts of the northern and upper-west regions of Ghana. It will make easy-to-understand maternal health information accessible to expectant mothers and mothers of newborns through the use of information communications technology. The initiative will also address newborn survival in remote, rural areas with targeted messages and interventions for issues such as maternal tetanus immunization, clean cord practices, exclusive breastfeeding, skin-to-skin care, and the recognition and early treatment of infection.
Tula Foundation
The $7.6-million Scaling up MNCH in Guatemala initiative aims to reduce maternal and child mortality by strengthening essential maternal, newborn and child health services in that country. It will scale up the existing community eHealth initiative, currently being implemented in one region of Guatemala, to three other priority regions chosen by the local Ministry of Health. This will improve the delivery of essential MNCH services and strengthen the development of evidence-based interventions by using community eHealth information system data. The initiative is implemented by a consortium led by the Tula Foundation in partnership with McMaster University. The initiative will contribute to strengthening health systems and ensuring accountability for MNCH results.
World Neighbours Canada
The $1-million World Neighbours Canada Maternal-Child Health Initiative aims to improve the health of mothers and young children in Nepal, Honduras and Burkina Faso by focusing on drinking water, sanitation, health education, nutrition and family planning. This initiative will improve village and household water infrastructure, deliver health education for parents, and enhance nutrition and food security. It will also promote the increased participation of women in leadership roles on water and health committees. It will also engage Canadians on MNCH issues in developing countries through public events in British Columbia communities.
