Press
Centre
Press Release
Canada contributes $66 million to UNICEF
for immunization and health programs for children
OTTAWA / NEW YORK, 1 May 2003 – The Canadian Government
announced today that it is contributing $66 million in
Canadian dollars to UNICEF in support of vital immunization
and vitamin A distribution programs for children in the
poorest countries.
The gift to UNICEF comes as part of a package of global
health initiatives by the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) totaling
$143.6 million over five years.
UNICEF will receive $32.3 million from CIDA over five
years to help expand routine vaccination of children against
such diseases as tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, and
tetanus. The gift will also help expand UNICEF’s
use of auto-disable syringes, which enhance safety of
injections because they can only be used once.
UNICEF will also receive $33.6 million to extend its
highly successful vitamin A supplementation campaign,
which presently reaches more than 200 million children
in over 70 countries. Vitamin A strengthens the immune
system, helping protect children against death and illnesses
of all kinds. Canada is the leader in supporting UNICEF’s
vitamin A programs.
“We could not be more grateful for the vision and
generosity of the Canadian Government,” said Carol
Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF. “These contributions
will have a profound impact on the lives of millions of
children in the poorest countries. They’ll never
know how these life-saving vaccines and micronutrients
reached them. But they will benefit for the rest of their
lives. On their behalf we say, thank you, Canada.”
Over the past six years, Canada has contributed more
than $73 million (Canadian) to UNICEF’s immunization
and vitamin A initiatives.
UNICEF estimates that over 2.5 million child deaths are
prevented annually through immunization and vitamin A
programmes. Canada has been the major contributor to UNICEF’s
measles reduction efforts as well as its vitamin A initiative,
which alone has prevented an estimated 1.5 million deaths
over the past 4 years.
A global leader in child health, UNICEF is the world’s
largest purchaser of childhood vaccines, delivering billions
of doses each year and accounting for more than 40 per
cent of all vaccines used in developing countries.
* * *
For further information, please contact:
Alfred Ironside, UNICEF Media, New York: (212)
326-7261
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