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After a politically turbulent start to this year, the 2025 Canadian federal election kicked off on March 23rd at a critical time for our country and our world. The US President Donald Trump has used his first few months in office to sow chaos, pick fights with allies, and threaten our country with annexation. On top of this, the US administration has dismantled USAID, destroying an agency which provided over 42% of all global health funding, jeopardizing decades of progress toward ending extreme poverty and eradicating our world’s deadliest diseases. And now other countries are following suit by cutting their international assistance budgets.

This election is a crucial opportunity for us to tell candidates in our communities that we don’t want Canada to turn its back to the world. For the first time in over 40 years, a Canadian election is primarily focused on issues beyond our borders. As advocates, we need to seize this moment. Candidates and parties across the country are working hard to earn your support. They want to hear from you, about your priorities and concerns. We must remind them that regular people like us care about building a better world.

Thanks to the leadership of countries like Canada, our world is healthier and more prosperous than it was only 20 years ago. Canada has a long tradition of working alongside global partners to to support and champion the health and wellbeing of the most marginalized. For decades, Canada has contributed to advancing health equity, education, and efforts to fight our world’s deadliest infectious diseases, like tuberculosis.

The ask: We call on Canada's next government to have a strong role in tackling the most pressing global challenges by showing up and supporting the health, wellbeing, and dignity of people around the world. A better world starts with Canada.

This multiparty consensus – which centres the needs of people, and supports human rights, democracy, education, and global health – has been critical in shaping Canada’s role in the world. Importantly, this support has been maintained and grown across successive governments, showing that supporting the health, wellbeing, and dignity of people around the world is a fundamental Canadian value.

international assistance works

We know that international assistance works. It not only saves millions of lives but also opens a world of potential and growth. Canada’s global investments build allies and trade partners around the world by strengthening communities, growing economies, and saving lives. It helps prevent deadly disease outbreaks before they reach our shores, build sustainable markets and communities, and help defuse crises like armed conflicts before they begin.

We have played a key role in countless critical areas. Our global investments have helped to:

• reduce child mortality by half in the past 25 years,
• eradicate polio almost everywhere in the world,
• save the lives of over 7 million children as the largest donor to vitamin A supplementation, and
• lift over 1 billion people out of extreme poverty since 2000.

But this progress is at risk. Only 17% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track for completion by 2030 – and progress on another third of the SDGs is stalling or reversing. The intensifying effects of climate change and escalating conflicts are putting the progress of past decades at risk.

why this election matters

Elections are about more than just voting (though you should absolutely vote if you can!). They are an opportunity to exercise your advocacy muscles to tell candidates, future decision-makers about your priorities, and to remind them that Canadians don’t back away when others are in trouble.

Your voice matters. Your Member of Parliament (MP) represents and works for you. And the candidates who are campaigning to be your next MP want to hear from you and hear your concerns. Right now, you have a unique opportunity to inform candidates about your priorities, and especially that you care about Canada’s role in building a more equitable and better world.

The cruel cuts to USAID by the Trump administration, and the UK and the Netherlands slashing their own international assistance budgets shows us that we can’t take for granted Canada’s commitment to a world without poverty and its willingness to back this commitment with resources. It depends on people like us speaking up to let current and future decisionmakers know that we care, and that a better world starts with Canada.

latest campaign news

#ForOurFuture:

• After months of tireless advocacy by Results volunteers and Fellows, former Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced a major milestone in Canada's commitment to global health: a new pledge of $675 million over the next five years (2026-2030) to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This funding will directly impact the lives of millions of children, women and girls around the world by fostering more equitable access to lifesaving vaccines and preventing deadly diseases. We are proud to see Canada stepping up to reaffirm its leadership and taking a firm stand on the importance of solidarity to protect people everywhere. Thank you to everyone who advocated for months to make this happen!

#FeedOurFuture:

• During International Development Week, former Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced $360.6 million for Nutrition International (NI), a high-impact investment that will help put an end to the malnutrition crisis! This funding supports NI’s bold plan to improve millions of people’s lives. With an average return of $28 for every $1 invested, nutrition interventions offer some of the highest returns in global development. And with good nutrition, we know that children can better access education, and healthcare costs will decrease or both countries and individuals. Thank you to all our volunteers who have been advocating for investments in nutrition! This is a solid down payment on the $750 million we need for the Nutrition For Growth Summit.

story

A health crisis anywhere is a threat to people everywhere.

This is why investments fighting HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria are so vital – not only to fight the world’s deadliest diseases, but also to ensure that health systems everywhere are equipped to detect and contain outbreaks before they spread.

Women are most often the ones doing this vital work – keeping people everywhere safe from infectious disease.

For instance, Nurse Pascaline has supported approximately 9,000 TB patients and their loved ones in DRC’s capital city, Kinshasa over the past 23 years. “They’re our children, they’re our families, and they’re our friends,” she says.

podcast

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the leading infectious disease killer in the world. After last month’s World TB Day, learn more about this terrible disease from acclaimed author, John Green.