The current Canadian government will be tabling its first budget at a pivotal moment in the fight to end extreme poverty. There has been tremendous progress over the past several decades, but that is now at risk.
In the past few decades, our world has made incredible strides. Since 1990, 1.3 billion fewer people are living in extreme poverty, meaning that the proportion of people living in extreme poverty has decreased from 43.6% in 1990 to just under 10% today. This success is told in the lives saved and futures secured by our collective global action and demonstrates the critical importance of continuing our fight to end extreme poverty.
Even as global issues like the malnutrition crisis are intensifying and deadly epidemics are continuing to spread, the US has dismantled US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other countries are following suit with cuts to their international assistance budgets, jeopardizing everything that has been accomplished.
These funding shortfalls are worsened by the compounding challenges of conflict, climate change, misinformation, and the erosion of human rights making it harder to address global health challenges and reach those in need.
The human and economic costs of all this cannot be overstated.
In its upcoming budget, the Canadian government must uphold its commitments – including the Prime Minister's promise not to cut international assistance funding – and be ambitious in building a healthier, safer world. Our official submission to the budget consultation process includes the following recommendations related that range from general spending to critical global issues such as health equity, nutrition, and quality education:
You can also help shape Canada's future by participating in budget consultations before August 28!
