July 15, 2015 – Winnipeg, Manitoba - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
Today, the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development, and Member of Parliament for Portage-Lisgar, alongside Joyce Bateman, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, announced the successful organization based in Manitoba selected through the Partnerships for Strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PSMNCH) call for proposals. They made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, during an event hosted by Mennonite Central Committee Canada. They were also joined by Lawrence Toet, Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona.
Funding for the initiative announced today is part of Canada’s $3.5-billion commitment to maternal, newborn and child health for the period 2015–2020 announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the Saving Every Woman, Every Child: Within Arm’s Reach global summit in Toronto in May 2014.
Mennonite Central Committee Canada of Winnipeg will be delivering one of the 36 initiatives selected under the PSMNCH call for proposals aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality and improving women’s and children’s health in developing countries.
The Strengthening MNCH in Afghanistan initiative will focus on life-saving services for the identification and treatment of acute malnutrition in children under the age of five in three provinces in Afghanistan: Bamyan, Kandahar and Wardak. In addition to the delivery of these emergency services, it also aims to improve dietary diversity, enhance food security, ensure access to clean water, and provide hygiene education and access to essential sanitation facilities in all three provinces. The initiative will contribute to strengthening health systems, reducing water-related and other preventable diseases, and improving nutrition.
The Government of Canada has been a global leader in improving the health of mothers, newborns and children, and is achieving remarkable results.
In 2010, Canada pledged $2.85 billion over five years to improve the health of mothers, newborns and children around the world. Canada pays what it pledges, and it has delivered on that commitment.
“I know the good work that is done by Mennonite Central Committee Canada. They will bring a wealth of expertise and innovative approaches to Canada’s efforts to save the lives of mothers, newborns and children in Afghanistan. Communities in the developing world will be stronger and more prosperous because Canada’s leadership is saving the lives of mothers and children through better nutrition, immunization, health worker training, micronutrient supplements and more.”
- The Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State for Social Development, and Member of Parliament for Portage-Lisgar
“We cannot stand idly by while women and children in developing countries suffer deaths that are easily and inexpensively prevented. This is why Prime Minister Harper has taken a leadership role in addressing the health challenges faced by women, newborns and children in the world’s poorest countries. The Partnerships for Strengthening Maternal, Newborn and Child Health call for proposals is an opportunity to leverage Canadians’ expertise and innovation to work toward the goal of ending the preventable deaths of women and children within a generation.”
- The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie
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