Health

Introduction
Taking Action
Canada's Commitment
Strengthening Health Systems - The African Health Systems Initiative
Sector-wide Approaches (SWAps)
More Health Results
Case Studies
Equality Between Women and Men Plays an Important Role in Improving Health

Introduction

Ensuring good health status for the world's population is key to laying the foundation for sustainable social, economic, and human development. The right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health can contribute positively in a number of areas: good health enables students to learn; workers to produce; parents to nurture; and men, women, and children to take active and constructive roles in their communities.

While global health has improved significantly over the past few decades, this benefit has not been widely shared within and among nations, with the greatest burden of disease borne by the poor. Every year, almost 10 million children under the age of 5 die from preventable illnesses. Also, HIV/AIDS annually claims about 3 million lives; tuberculosis, 2 million; and malaria, 1.2 million. And 529,000 women die each year of causes related to childbirth. Quality, efficiency, and equality persist as major gaps in health services. Food security and limits in agricultural production contribute to the world's major health problems, which include HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, malaria, water-borne diseases, and the potential for a global influenza pandemic.

---

Taking Action

Consequently, global funding for health and HIV/AIDS programming has been placed at the forefront of development assistance with three of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) directly targeting health: There have been significant increases in funding through international organizations and programming initiatives, including major policy changes and the development of health strategies at the country level. Other changes include support to public-private partnerships; a stronger focus on results on the ground, including monitoring and evaluation systems; emphasis on evidence-based policy and programs, and an increased focus on health financing and governance. Health is recognized as a human right in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25) as well as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Article 12).

Canada is a major contributor to developing country health programs and consistently ranks among the top donors to global health initiatives such as:

---

Canada's Commitment

Building on lessons learned and best practices in health, and HIV/AIDS programming over many decades, Canada is committed to improving people's health in the world's poorest countries by focusing on projects, programs, policies, initiatives, and relevant research that: In addition, to ensure that initiatives to improve people's health are sustainable and that developing countries are equipped to respond to the health needs of their populations, Canada has also scaled up its efforts to strengthen health systems.

---

Strengthening Health Systems - The African Health Systems Initiative

Inspired by the CIDA-funded Tanzania Essential Health Intervention Project (TEHIP), CIDA is developing a new initiative to support African efforts to strengthen health systems, improve health outcomes, and make concrete progress to support developing country efforts to achieve the MDGs. Canada has earmarked $450 million in new funds over a 10-year period for the African Health Systems Initiative, beginning in 2006-2007. Through the coordinated efforts of bilateral, partnership, and multilateral channels, Canada is developing support through joint initiatives with countries and international partners to strengthen national-level health strategies and systems.

---

Sector-wide Approaches (SWAps)

Canada also attempts to optimize its bilateral, or country-to-country, delivery channel through an effective use of health sector-wide approaches (SWAps). SWAps involve a coordinated effort with the local government to set out strategic approaches and place a premium on local ownership and donor coordination. For instance, Canada aims to improve the quality and delivery of national health services (reproductive and child health) appropriate to the needs of the poor, in particular for women and children in Bangladesh, by working with the Government of Bangladesh on its $45-million Bangladesh Health Commodities program. Through this project, CIDA will supply selected drugs, vaccines, and family-planning commodities.

---

More Health Results

Through CIDA, Canada's significant financial contributions to the health sector and its policy leadership have consistently been far greater than what would be expected given our population base and economic landscape. We have influenced global health initiatives and improved the health status of millions of people around the world.

It is estimated that these initiatives, funded by Canada and implemented through partnerships with our national, international, and developing-country partners, have: Further achievements have included a reduction in infant and child mortality, including the almost complete eradication of polio, an increase in bed net distribution to reduce the incidence of malaria, and an increase in the rate of use of contraceptives and a decrease in the fertility rate in some regions-all while promoting greater country ownership of development priorities.

Find out about more health results: Canada and Health Results.

---

Case Studies

Canada, a partner in Mali's health sector

Working in health in Mali-Canada is the third-largest donor to the country's health sector-is an example of a focus that makes sense for Canada. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world, and its government has demonstrated its commitment to poverty reduction. Canadians have been partnering with Malians for more than three decades to eradicate river blindness and guinea worm disease, prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, improve food security and nutrition, and now strengthen health care systems and help train health care professionals:

Results that Canada has helped achieve in Mali:

Find out about more Canadian health results in Mali:

Canada helps save lives In Tanzania:

Canada helps save lives In Tanzania by improving health management. The Tanzania Essential Health Interventions Project was funded by Canada and executed by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Government of Tanzania's Ministry of Health.

This intervention is demonstrating how a small budget increase can effectively address problems in health service delivery in rural areas. In the Rufiji District, there has been a decrease in the number of deaths of children under the age of 5. Given this achievement, the Millennium Development Goals for child mortality will be met in this district, most likely well ahead of schedule. In addition, the strategies used in this project are now being modelled throughout Tanzania. And Canada is looking to replicate its success in other countries.

---

Equality Between Women and Men Plays an Important Role in Improving Health

Women and girls suffer a disproportionate burden of disease due to their greater poverty, the physical demands of pregnancy and motherhood, and their inequality in society, which often results in gender-based violence and inequitable access to social, economic, and health services. Access to sexual and reproductive services also remains a challenge to many of the poor in developing countries. More than 350 million women worldwide do not have access to safe and effective contraceptive methods. This number is expected to increase as a result of the demographic trends, which indicate there are a greater number of couples of childbearing age than ever before. As such, Canada works to explicitly integrate equality between women and men into all of its health and HIV/AIDS policies, programs, and projects.