The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) congratulates the Government of Canada for today’s announcement that it will immediately provide $8 million in humanitarian assistance to fight COVID-19. CanWaCH further applauds all governments and decision-makers across Canada and around the world for coming together quickly and in unity to acknowledge that collective short and long-term investment is needed to combat disease and pandemics, which do not acknowledge borders and territory.
Canada will direct the $8 million in funding to the World Health Organization, the Pan-American Health Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as part of a larger $50 million COVID-19 Canadian response package announced earlier this month.
Alongside investments in domestic pandemic response, CanWaCH strongly supports investing in global partnerships and organizations. These entities are well-positioned with their global perspective to work with appropriate partners in responding to the universal needs of ALL citizens in our global community.
Global investment is particularly critical in environments where social distancing, self-isolation and access to water, sanitation and hygiene – all crucial measures to slow the spread of the virus to all nations around the world – are simply not possible. This includes some of the most impoverished situations and areas, such as war-affected nations, refugee camps, urban slums and overcrowded complexes.
The curve is global. Virus and disease know no borders. Solutions must be global. This announcement today affirms once again that Canada always steps up during a world crisis.
Published:
March 20, 2020
Author:
CanWaCH
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