Canada-led health program to save over 500 of the world’s poorest children, every day

OTTAWA - Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville-Wainwright, applauded the Prime Minister’s recent announcement about an initiative to save some of the world’s poorest children. Prime Minister Harper, pledged that Canada, in partnership with UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and other donor countries, will lead an ambitious plan to improve healthcare for impoverished mothers and children in Africa and Asia.

The Initiative to Save a Million Lives will strengthen health systems by training frontline health workers and delivering affordable healthcare services directly to local communities.

“This program will deliver basic, cost-effective and life-saving health services to mothers and children in countries where the needs are greatest,” explains Benoit. “Once fully implemented, the Initiative will save over 500 children’s lives every day.”

As the Prime Minister pointed out, Canada is on track to double its aid to Africa by 2008-09. “We are seeing real results, including lower rates of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria, increased peace and security, stronger economic growth, and better governance,” states Benoit.

Canada’s contribution of $105 million over five years to the Initiative will train over 40,000 health workers and provide much-needed treatment for diseases such as malaria, measles and malnutrition. These efforts alone are expected to save 200,000 lives in Africa.

“I am very proud of our Governments’ commitment to international aid as a whole, and as the father of five children, and now grandfather of two, I fully support this proactive idea to help the most helpless around the world,” concludes Benoit. “It is the action of a responsible, caring country, and Canada certainly is a world-leader in that regard.

The Initiative to Save a Million Lives - Media Backgrounder

While world-wide child mortality rates appear to be on the decline, it is estimated that nearly 10 million children under the age of five die from preventable causes every year. Africa bears a disproportionate share of this burden. Although sub-Saharan Africa has only 11 per cent of the world’s population, half of all the world’s child and maternal deaths occur each year in Africa. Many die from preventable diseases such as malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia – diseases that can be treated easily and inexpensively.

In partnership with UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and other donor countries, notably Norway, the Canadian-led Initiative to Save a Million Lives will dramatically reduce mortality rates for children as well as expectant and new mothers.

The Initiative has the goal of leveraging $500 million to support basic health services – with Canada’s own contribution of $105 million over five years.

Canadian funding alone for this program is expected to save 200,000 lives in Africa. In addition, it will prevent blindness, malaria, and other
diseases in many more children. These results will have a direct impact on the quality of life of these children and mothers and have a widespread effect on economic productivity, which is key to poverty reduction.

Specifically, Canada’s contribution will:

• Train over 40,000 front-line health workers to provide services to children and pregnant women; and
• Deliver affordable, proven health services such as:
• Measles and DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) shots to prevent deadly communicable diseases;
• Insecticide-treated bednets to protect children under five and pregnant women from malaria;
• Re-hydration therapy to prevent deaths from diarrhea;
• Antibiotics to fight pneumonia;
• Drugs to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS;
• Micronutrients such as vitamin A to fight malnutrition; and
• Breastfeeding education for new mothers.

Background

The Initiative to Save a Million Lives is one of the main components of the Africa Health Systems Initiative announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the 2006 G8 Summit. This 10-year program will support African-led efforts to strengthen health systems. It focuses on providing support to train, equip, and deploy new and existing African health workers to make basic health care more accessible to the most vulnerable. As the Prime Minister confirmed at the 2007 G8 Summit, Canada is on track to double its international aid to Africa from $1.05 billion in 2003-04 to $2.1 billion in 2008-09.

This Initiative builds on the previous successes of Canada’s international health programs which have already saved millions of lives around the world. For example:

Canada is the world’s leading provider of vitamin A to poor countries. Vitamin A supplements, which cost less than four cents per child per year, boost the immune system and help prevent blindness. UNICEF estimates that vitamin A supplements have averted more than two million deaths.
Canada has been the leading donor country in fighting malaria with insecticide-treated bednets, saving many thousands of children’s lives and reducing the burden of disease.

Canadian-financed expansion of tuberculosis treatment has led to approximately four million additional treatment successes, averting over half a million deaths. Canada was also the founding donor of the Global TB Drug Facility. Its bulk procurement and strengthened drug management practices have decreased drug costs and reduced corruption.