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Saving Every Woman Every Child: Within Arm’s Reach

June 2, 2014

The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health – Prime Minister Harper has announced that Canada is committing another $3.5 billion over five years to improve global maternal, newborn and child health. The money builds on the Muskoka Initiative’s total $2.85-billion commitment Canada unveiled in 2010 while hosting the G8 summit.

The Prime Minister made the announcement on the sidelines of the Saving Every Woman, Every Child summit in Toronto alongside Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Melinda Gates and International Development Minister Christian Paradis. “It is good work, it is great work, it’s work that is making a difference between life and death, and so I believe that this work must not stop,” Harper stated.

The Prime Minister has said that the new funds for 2015 to 2020 will focus on the best programming, innovation and partnerships from the past four years and it will be given increased financial resources. Newborn health particularly the first months of life as well as accelerating immunization efforts to tackle preventable diseases will also be a priority.

Maternal, newborn and child health remains Canada’s top international development priority and the government has committed to working with Canadian and international partners toward the goal of ending the preventable deaths of mothers, newborn and children under the age of five.

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