AIDS activists are urging the federal government to quickly update Canada's support to combat infectious diseases overseas.
“While some of the rest of the world are now retreating from investing in global health, Canada can move forward quickly to save lives.
His group is one of 24 Canadian civil society organizations that the Global Fund has asked the government to allocate $1.37 billion over three years to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The fund is affiliated with the United Nations to support developing countries in the restriction and treatment of three preventable diseases, one of the leading causes of death in many regions.
Canada is one of the fund's world's top supporters, making up the biggest chunk of Ottawa's global health spending. Canada has donated nearly $5 billion to the Global Fund since 2002, and estimates that the fund has saved 65 million lives at that time.
Countries replenish funds every three years, and contributions usually increase over time as the health care system improves its ability to treat and prevent these diseases.
In each cycle, civil society groups issue what is called fair share metrics to reflect that each wealthy country can reasonably pledge to help the fund achieve its goals.
International Secretary of State Randep Saray's office presented questions regarding the $1.37 billion request for Canada's Global Affairs.
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“Canada looks forward to working together as part of the Global Fund Partnership to ensure the eighth replenishment of the fund this year,” the department wrote in a statement. “The debate over the Canadian pledge is ongoing.”
McAuley said he hopes Ottawa will soon announce its pledge and build momentum for other countries to follow suit.
“Canada has a unique role and legacy that it plays in the global health sector,” he said. “Our momentum means something at the world stage. Come out early and don't wait for the last time.”
The results say Canada, another group calling for Ottawa to meet civil society targets, said the G7 summit, hosted by Canada in Alberta, “focused on trade, conflict and climate, but overlooks two of the most powerful tools for global stability: health and education.”
This has resulted in the global fund's legacy being “under threat,” the group claimed in its email campaign. “As the country cuts international aid, the benefits of decades of hardship depend on the balance.”
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UNAIDS reported on July 10 that HIV infections and deaths continue to decline, but sudden cuts by the US and others “reverse year's progress in response to HIV.”
US Republicans recently reversed plans to cut Pepfer, the world's largest HIV program, but Washington is still on track to cut its contribution to the global fund.
Countries usually make pledges at organized meetings, such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's last cycle of visits to the United Nations in New York in 2022.
Although there will be no pledge meetings this year, Macauley hopes that the leaders of the large economy will make a pledge before visiting South Africa for the G20 summit in November.
He said global health is under pressure from armed conflict, climate-related events and ongoing recovery in the health system during the Covid-19 pandemic. Rich countries are cutting foreign aid to increase military spending.
Prime Minister Mark Kearney promised not to cut foreign aid spending or development funds in last spring elections, before he began reviewing government spending and committed to massive military-related spending.
McAuley said Carney should meet the indicators outlined by civil society, or that he would be offside with his two final predecessors.
“Both Harper and Trudeau stepped up repeatedly and made a fair distribution in Canada,” he said. “Is Carney going to break that pattern now and retreat?”
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