Offline: Canada's big promise

Abstract

When a Head of State commits $3·5 billion to a cause you have spent a decade advocating for, it's right (and polite) to say thank you. It was a truly astonishing announcement. Even Prime Minister Stephen Harper's ministers were caught unawares. I sat in a parallel session during the second day of Canada's Saving Every Woman Every Child Summit, held in Toronto last week. The 90-minute discussion on health information systems opened with a speech by Chris Alexander, Harper's thoughtful Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Towards the end of a panel debate, a hand-written note was hastily passed to me. It read: “At the end of the panel, can you please call Cdn Citizenship + Immigration Minister Chris Alexander back to the podium—he will be announcing something on behalf of Cda's Prime Minister. Will take 2 min. Last minute addition, thank you for your assistance.” Reading from lines only just handed to him, Alexander announced that his government would commit $3·5 billion for maternal and child health between 2015–20. This money would build on Canada's existing $2·85 billion, allocated as part of its 2010–15 Muskoka initiative (launched during Canada's leadership of the G7 Summit in 2010). Audible audience gasps gave way to standing ovations throughout the rest of the meeting. When a G7 Prime Minister or President leads, he can bring almost anyone he invites to join his party. And here they all were: the Secretary-General of the UN, President of the World Bank, President of Tanzania, heads of WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Food Programme, Global Fund, and GAVI, together with Ministers of Health from Mali, Senegal, and Nigeria, Queen Rania of Jordan, the Aga Khan, and Melinda Gates. It has been many years since Stephen Harper had so much unconditional love poured over him. Canada's new money will be targeted towards life-saving interventions (especially vaccines), newborn health, nutrition, and accountability (notably civil registration and vital statistics systems). Harper described maternal and child health as a “moral imperative”, an issue on which he would “not waver”.