#ForOurFuture

By: Results Canada Published: 01/10/2024

BIG CAMPAIGN NEWS!

Since July, you've been calling on Canada to support global efforts to eradicate polio by committing CAD$ 150 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Canada heard your call! On September 20th, Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced $151 MILLION to support GPEI's efforts. Together, we made this happen! But the work's not over. Let's keep up the momentum and get that Gavi pledge too 👇

“Immunization and gender equality are connected in powerful ways. Increasing access to immunization and health care empowers women and girls while creating a more equitable world for all.”

- Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, Canada

When 14-year-old Damilola John from Lagos received her vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), she knew she had secured a shot at life – something many of her friends missed out on. Damilola’s message is clear: “Let your daughters get the vaccine, so we can have a future free of cervical cancer.”

HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer, which is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women in low- and middle-income countries, where access to screening and treatment services is limited. Damilola’s appeal isn’t just about saving her friends – who are among 500,000 girls in Nigeria who remain unvaccinated against HPV – it’s a call to use the vaccines as a tool to break the cycle of poverty and gender inequality.

The ask: We call on Canada to invest #ForOurFuture by ensuring that life-saving vaccines #ReachEveryChild. Canada must support the scale-up of existing vaccines and the access to new, exciting innovations by making a pledge of at least $CAD 720 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance’s 2026-2030 Strategy.

HPV vaccination, like other vaccines, not only protects girls from a significant health threat but also supports their education and economic opportunities. Healthy children are more likely to attend school and become productive members of society, while their families avoid crushing healthcare costs. By breaking down barriers and ensuring equal access to health protection, HPV vaccination empowers girls and improves their life prospects.

common gender-related barriers to vaccination

lack of information: Caregivers of children, especially women, may not have adequate information or awareness about the benefits of vaccination.
household responsibilities: Traditional divisions of labour within the household can limit fathers' involvement in childcare, including taking children for vaccinations.
financial barriers: Caregivers from low-income households or women without access to household funds may struggle to afford indirect vaccination costs, such as transportation.
cultural and religious restrictions: In some communities, religious or cultural practices may prevent female caregivers from seeking immunization services from male healthcare workers.
mobility challenges: Long distances to health clinics can be a significant barrier for women, particularly young mothers, due to concerns about safety and mobility.
healthcare accessibility: Long wait times and clinics that operate only during working hours may conflict with caregivers' responsibilities or income-generating activities.
negative provider attitudes: Some caregivers may be discouraged from returning to complete their child's vaccination schedule due to negative experiences or attitudes from healthcare providers.

Initiatives like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance are crucial in breaking down these barriers and making a future without cervical cancer a reality. By making HPV vaccines and other vaccines affordable and accessible in the world's poorest countries and by supporting national immunization programs, Gavi helps millions of girls avoid deadly diseases, address health disparities, and advance health outcomes, fostering healthier and more equitable communities.

Gavi’s role in expanding vaccine access for girls

Preventing gender-specific health issues should begin in childhood. Gavi supports two vaccines that particularly benefit women’s and girls’ health: human papillomavirus (HPV) and rubella.
HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer, having caused around 350,000 deaths in 2022, primarily in low-and middle-income countries.
- Cervical cancer is highly preventable with the effective HPV vaccine. For every 1,000 girls vaccinated, almost 18 deaths are prevented, making it one of the most impactful vaccines in Gavi’s portfolio.
- For its next strategic period (2026-2030), Gavi will step up efforts to eliminate cervical cancer by vaccinating over 120 million girls against HPV, saving 1.5 million lives.
- Gavi will integrate the HPV vaccine into holistic adolescent care, including nutrition and sexual and reproductive health, working with partners like the Global Financing Facility (GFF).
If contracted just before conception and in early pregnancy, rubella can cause miscarriage, fetal death, or congenital defects.
- Consistently high vaccination coverage with the rubella vaccine, with support from Gavi, has eliminated rubella in many countries.
Gavi’s Gender Policy highlights the need to address the unique challenges faced by adolescent girls. Through various initiatives, Gavi aims to reach zero-dose and under-immunized communities by dismantling various gender-related barriers, supporting women health workers, and making health services more accessible and safer for women and girls.

vaccines as tools to break the cycle of poverty

Vaccines do more than save lives and close gender-related health gaps – they drive profound economic benefits for families, communities, and entire nations. Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved nearly 154 million lives – equivalent to six lives every minute. Since Gavi’s launch in 2000, the global under-5 mortality rate has plummeted by 51%, mirroring a dramatic reduction in extreme poverty worldwide by half.

This progress can continue. Studies estimate that between 2016-2030, by using 10 vaccines – many of which are in Gavi’s portfolio – we could prevent 36 million deaths and keep 24 million households from sliding into poverty due to healthcare-related costs. Starting in 2026, Gavi will accelerate its efforts to vaccinate more children against more diseases, faster than ever before, protecting at least 500 million children and saving over 8 million lives. This underscores the vital role of vaccines in fostering healthier, more prosperous communities worldwide and the key role Gavi can play in realizing this vision.

immunization and poverty

Sudden healthcare expenses push about 344 million people deeper into poverty, making medical impoverishment one of the main factors forcing families below the extreme poverty line – defined as living on less than US$2.15 per person per day.
Vaccination in low- and middle-income countries can substantially prevent disease-related hospitalizations, health-related impoverishment, and bring significant financial risk protection to households.
Within countries, greater benefit is expected among the poorest populations who often have higher risks of death, reduced access to effective care, and bear significant economic costs due to disease treatment.
The total predicted number of cases of illness-related poverty averted – 24 million – represents about 9% of people in low-income countries who are already impoverished.

As the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and climate change have reversed progress on poverty, it's crucial to intensify efforts. Gavi ensures every child has access to lifesaving vaccines, a key driver of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With 1.5 million children still dying annually from preventable diseases, sustained support for Gavi is vital to avoid further setbacks.

This is our moment to act decisively and demonstrate our commitment to the world's children and girls. Canada has a strong track record of advancing gender equality through immunization efforts, in line with its Feminist International Assistance Policy. As a leading contributor to both Gavi and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), Canada has championed gender-focused vaccination strategies, breaking down barriers to reach under-immunized communities.

We celebrate Canada’s recent commitment to the GPEI and urge the government to amplify this impact by making a bold pledge to Gavi, strengthening broader immunization efforts. By doing so, Canada can safeguard millions of children, champion gender equity, and reinforce its leadership in global health. Now is the time for Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help girls like Damilola secure a shot at life and help build a world free from poverty #ForOurFuture.

latest campaign news

#ForOurFuture:

Since July, Results Canada’s volunteers have been calling on Canada to support global efforts to eradicate polio by committing CAD$ 150 million per year to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative over the next three years. We are thrilled that Canada heard our call! On September 20th, Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen reaffirmed Canada's commitment to eradicating polio, announcing $ 151 million — that's $1 million more than our ask! Thank you to all of you who advocated for this! Read more here.
Canada recently announced that it would make available up to 200,000 doses of vaccines to support the global response to the mpox outbreak. While we welcome this, we will continue our call for Canada to show true global solidarity and ensure Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has the funding, vaccines, diagnostics, and medicines needed to control this outbreak. Read our statement here, which includes how mechanisms like Gavi are stepping up.

story

how one father’s love is helping shield Nigeria’s daughters from cervical cancer

Maina Modu, an immunization officer in Nigeria, has seen the devastating effects of cervical cancer up close – he lost his wife to the disease in 2011. Driven by this personal tragedy, he is now dedicated to protecting not only his daughters but all young girls in his state of Borno from this vaccine-preventable disease. Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer among Nigerian women – an estimated 12,000 women are diagnosed countrywide each year and almost 8,000 die.

Read his family’s story here.

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key dates

October 3: October Action Kick-Off
October 8-10: Global Forum on TB Vaccines
October 11: International Day of the Girl Child
October 13-15: World Health Summit
October 16: World Food Day
October 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP)
October 24: World Polio Day

Check out our full key dates calendar.

keywords

For Our Future
Reach Every Child
Vaccines
HPV
Malaria
Zero-dose children
Tuberculosis
Immunization

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#ForOurFuture
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#VaccinesWork
#cdnpoli

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