Photo: GFF - Dominic Chavez
On April 22, Canada stepped up to protect the health of women, children, and adolescents in lower-income countries. The Honourable Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan announced an additional CAD$40 million investment in the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF) at the #ReclaimTheGains closing event that he co-hosted. This brings Canada’s total contribution to the GFF’s current resource mobilization to CAD$190 million over 3 years. It also marks a remarkable 27% increase over Canada's previous level of investment in the GFF, which was CAD$150 million over 3 years.
Results Canada volunteers have been sounding the alarm throughout 2021 and 2022, calling on Canada to do its part to #StopTheDeadlyDivde and #EndCovidEverywhere by investing a minimum of CAD$250 million in the GFF over 3 years. Canada has heeded our relentless calls for action, stepping up to substantively lead and finance the GFF. Such smart investments in the GFF will help countries weather the pandemic, reclaim the health gains lost due to COVID-19, and build the necessary health system resilience to turn the tide and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Canada’s investment in the GFF will positively impact the lives of women, children, and adolescents around the world. It will contribute to helping countries save an estimated 18 million lives by 2030 by expanding access to lifesaving care. By 2025, over 56 million additional women will be able to access skilled birth attendants to ensure they survive childbirth and deliver their babies safely, and 25 million additional women and adolescents will gain access to modern methods of contraception to help prevent unintended pregnancies. Canada’s commitment will also unlock much-needed additional funding for women, children, and adolescents from domestic governments and the International Development Association (IDA).
As we celebrate today’s announcement, it’s critical to continue calling on Canada to deliver on its commitments to build #TheWorldWeNeed and ensure that every woman, child, and adolescent can access the quality and affordable health care they need to survive and thrive.
Stay tuned! Our call-to-action for May focuses on the grave threats that HIV, TB, and malaria continue to place on women and girls around the world.
