Health advocates urge Carney not to delay pledge for UN Global Fund fighting AIDS, TB
'While some of the other nations around the world are retreating right now from investing in global health, Canada can and should be stepping forward swiftly, to save lives,' said Justin McAuley, a director with the Canadian branch of the ONE Campaign.
His group is among 24 Canadian civil society organizations that asked the government to allocate $1.37 billion over three years for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The fund is affiliated with the United Nations, and it supports developing countries in limiting and treating the three preventable illnesses, which in many regions are among the leading causes of death.
Canada is one of the world's top supporters of the fund, which makes up the largest chunk of Ottawa's global health spending. Canada has contributed nearly $5 billion to the Global Fund since 2002, and the fund estimates it has saved 65 million lives in that time.
Countries replenish the fund every three years, with their contributions usually rising over time as health-care systems build more capacity to treat and prevent these diseases.
In each cycle, civil society groups issue what they call a fair-share metric to reflect how much each wealthy country can reasonably pledge to help the fund reach its goals.
The office of Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, referred questions about the $1.37 billion request to Global Affairs Canada.
'Canada looks forward to working together as part of the Global Fund partnership to secure a successful eighth replenishment of the fund this year,' the department wrote in a statement. 'Discussions regarding Canada's pledge are ongoing.'
McAuley said he hopes Ottawa announces its pledge soon, to build momentum for other countries to follow suit.
'Canada has a unique role and legacy to play in the global health space,' he said. 'Our momentum will mean something on the world stage — if we come out early, and don't wait for the last minute.'
Results Canada, another group asking Ottawa to meet the civil society target, noted the G7 summit that Canada hosted in Alberta 'focused on trade, conflict and climate — but overlooked two of the most powerful tools for global stability: health and education.'
That has put the legacy of the Global Fund 'under threat,' the group argued in an email campaign. 'As countries cut international assistance, decades of hard-won gains hang in the balance.'
UNAIDS reported on July 10 that HIV infections and deaths continue to drop, but sudden cuts by the United States and others 'threaten to reverse years of progress in the response to HIV.'
U.S. Republicans recently reversed plans to cut PEPFAR, the world's largest HIV program, but Washington is still on track to slash its contribution to the Global Fund.
Countries normally make pledges at an organized conference, such as the last cycle when prime minister Justin Trudeau visited the United Nations in New York in 2022.
This year, there is no pledging conference, though McAuley expects leaders of large economies to make pledges before visiting South Africa for the G20 summit in November.
Wednesdays
Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture.
He said global health is already under pressure from armed conflicts, climate-related events and the ongoing recovery of health systems from cutbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rich countries are cutting back on foreign aid as they increase military spending.
Prime Minister Mark Carney promised in last spring's election to not cut foreign aid spending or development financing, though this was before he launched a review of government spending and committed to large amounts of military-related spending.
McAuley said Carney ought to meet the metric outlined by civil society, or he'll be offside with his two last predecessors.
'Both Harper and Trudeau repeatedly stepped up and did Canada's fair share,' he said. 'Is Carney going to break that pattern now and step back?'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Dying early, suffering in silence: the harms of toxic masculinity
Opinion When I was growing up, the two messages I heard most were 'real men don't cry' and 'real men don't show weakness.' These ideas were conveyed to me and every single other male I knew at school, during sports, and in virtually every movie and TV program we watched. These messages taught me not to show emotion or ask for help, and judge those who did as weak, to question their virility, masculinity and sexuality. This led to bad choices and behaviour that continue to infect generations of men and leads to bullying, harm and violence. Some of the worst harm occurs among men themselves. Alongside my colleague John Oliffe of the University of British Columbia Men's Health Research Program, we have published a report for the international organization Movember (best known for international moustache campaigns) titled 'The Real Face of Men's Health: the 2025 Canadian Report.' Available online, our findings identify how and why men in Canada are dying prematurely, suffering in silence, and how this crisis is costing Canada billions of dollars in resources and infrastructure. We also give recommendations and call for a national action plan to deal with the issue of male health. In the report, we point out that two in five (37 per cent) Canadian men die prematurely (before 75 years old) and these deaths are, for the most part, preventable. In fact, Canadian men live to an average age of 79.5 – almost five years younger than women. The two leading causes of premature death in Canadian men are cancer and heart disease, which can be dealt with simply by understanding male health, proper screening and encouraging men to see their doctor regularly. The next leading causes are accidents and unintentional injuries — also solved with an eye on good health and getting help — but a sense of humility and humanity, too. A whopping 50 per cent more males than females die from preventable causes or issues that can be treated effectively and on a timely basis. The next causes of male premature death though are the most complicated and the hardest to address. These are deaths caused by alcohol and drugs (particularly opioids) and suicide. In Canada, 72 per cent of all accidental opioid toxicity deaths are men; nearly 75 per cent of suicides in the country involve males. Instead of asking for help while in mental crisis, men most often turn to substances and, if untreated, harm and kill themselves. Well-funded, resourced, and competent mental health institutions and initiatives that understand the specific needs of men are crucial if male deaths are to be prevented. Necessarily, these must include the many sexualities, cultural specificities, and other contexts of that make up male and male-related identities. In nearly all of these cases and statistics, Indigenous men are two to five times higher than these averages, with the leading causes of male death due to historical trauma, poverty, legitimate and historical mistrust of the medical system, and poor access to health care. For more than two centuries, Indigenous women and men have experienced avalanches of imposed norms and beliefs from newcomers who brought with them foreign ideas based in gender and sexuality. These were turned into practices and policies with the goal of undermining traditional identities while replacing them with ideas often traumatizing. The Indian Act of 1867, for example, defined men as the sole rights holders in communities, property owners and heads of households while denying women the same rights while instilling rules that tried to control female behaviour. Gender normativity was so ingrained in the treatment of Indigenous communities that when the Indian Act was amended in 1884, to allow status Indian men to will their estate to their wives, it was only if the Indian agent determined she was of 'good moral character.' Indigenous men, in many ways, were therefore taught that patriarchy was normal, to feel and act entitled, and many gained privilege and power. Anyone who rejected or resisted acting in the ways males were expected to act was punished and ostracized. This meant that, for some Indigenous men, abuse and trauma became a language of expression. For others, the language became work, abandonment, and silence. It is only now that healing programs and initiatives have begun to help Indigenous men become the fullest sons, nephews, fathers, uncles, and grandfathers they can be. Still, Indigenous life expectancy continues to be much lower than the Canadian average: 72.8 years for First Nations males, 78.9 years for Métis males, and 68.8 years for Inuit males. Premature male death is costing Canada dearly. The report finds that poor male physical and mental health and premature death costs the Canadian economy $12.4 billion in health care costs, lost productivity, and caregiver time and supports. Speaking of caregivers, these are often disproportionately women. Everyone pays when men are taught not to cry or ask for help. Let's try something else. Niigaan SinclairColumnist Niigaan Sinclair is Anishinaabe and is a columnist at the Winnipeg Free Press. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Calgary Herald
8 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
There is a serious side effect to going to space, NASA says
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. NASA astronaut Suni Williams conducts an eye exam on the International Space Station. Photo by NASA A new study from NASA, conducted over several years of long-duration spaceflights on the International Space Station, has found that more than half of U.S. astronauts started noticing changes in their vision after more than six months aboard the ISS. Here's what to know. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'Many found that, as their mission progressed, they needed stronger reading glasses,' the study says. 'Researchers studying this phenomenon identified swelling in the optic disc, which is where the optic nerve enters the retina, and flattening of the eye shape.' Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again The acronym-loving space agency calls the condition SANS, short for Space-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome. 'Microgravity causes a person's blood and cerebrospinal fluid to shift toward the head, and studies have suggested that these fluid shifts may be an underlying cause of SANS,' researchers at NASA found. A Canadian-led study with an even longer acronym — Space Flight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome Ocular Rigidity Investigation, or SANSORI — was carried out to determine whether stiffness of the eye, called ocular rigidity, contributes to development of SANS. It studied 26 eyes (or 13 crew members) that spent between 157 and 186 days on the ISS, and revealed a drop in ocular rigidity (33 per cent), intraocular pressure (11 per cent) and ocular pulse amplitude (25 per cent) following the missions. 'These findings reveal previously unknown effects of microgravity on the eye's mechanical properties, contributing to a deeper understanding of … SANS,' researchers wrote. 'Long-term space missions significantly alter ocular biomechanics and have the potential to become biomarkers of disease progression.' NASA has a study taking place now on the space station with a device called the Thigh Cuff. The ongoing investigation has 10 astronauts using tight leg cuffs to change the way fluid moves around inside the body, especially around the eyes and in the heart and blood vessels. That study is expected to wrap up next year but, if successful, the team behind the device says, 'the cuffs could serve as a countermeasure against the problems associated with fluid shifts, including SANS.' They add: 'A simple and easy-to-use tool to counter the headward shift of body fluids could help protect astronauts on future missions to the Moon and Mars. The cuffs also could treat conditions on Earth that cause fluid to build up in the head or upper body, such as long-term bed rest and certain diseases.' This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Other possible treatments have been considered. Last year, a paper was published about an unnamed female astronaut with a particularly severe case of SANS. Her condition improved after she started taking a prescribed B-vitamin supplement that was flown to her on the station; however, there was coincidentally a reduction in cabin carbon dioxide at the same time, so researchers weren't certain if that may have also helped. The good new is that SANS does not seem to be a lifelong condition. In an interview, Dr. Andrew G. Lee, a Houston ophthalmologist and one of the authors of the above study, was refreshingly blunt about the longterm consequences. 'Astronaut vision is super important, not only for their safety but for mission quality,' he said. 'It's really important not to have blind people going to Mars.' He added: 'But so far so good. We have not seen any permanent vision loss from any SANS case, and the treatment seems to be come home. So once you get back to the gravitational field of the planet it seems to just go away after a while.' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our newsletters here.
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Mole Mobile' stops in North Bay to offer skin cancer screening
A mobile melanoma cancer clinic pulled into North Bay on Thursday morning and will be back in action there again Friday. A mobile melanoma cancer clinic pulled into North Bay on Thursday morning and will be back in action there again Friday, where a doctor screens people for skin cancer. 'Mole Mobile' is visiting major Canadian cities with long wait times to see a dermatologist and underserved communities to help speed up diagnosis. Mole main A mobile melanoma cancer clinic pulled into North Bay on Thursday morning and will be back in action there again Friday, where a doctor screens people for skin cancer. (Eric Taschner/CTV News) Dermatologist Dr. Michael Connolly is helping Melanoma Canada by screening patients by checking for melanoma inside the mobile unit. 'This type of service should be more available to patients,' Connolly said. Melanoma and skin cancer rates have been increasing across the globe. Incidence rates for new melanoma cases have been rising on average by 1.4 per cent each year over the last 10 years. When examining patients, Connolly examines what he describes as the 'ABCs' of melanoma -- asymmetry, border, colour, diametre and evolving. These characteristics help health-care professionals recognize suspicious moles or lesions that may warrant further examination. Common type of cancer 'We check not only for melanoma, but we check for non-melanoma skin cancers, too,' Connolly said. 'Like basal cells, squamous cells and for pre-cancerous lesions.' Skin cancers are the most common type of cancer diagnosed in men older than 49 and are among the most common cancers diagnosed in youth and young adults. If detected early, melanoma and skin cancers are largely treatable. Colleen Piekarski Colleen Piekarski knows the importance of getting checked all too well. In 2013, she discovered a bump on her scalp, which turned out to be Stage 3 melanoma. (Eric Taschner/CTV News) Colleen Piekarski knows the importance of getting checked all too well. In 2013, she discovered a bump on her scalp, which turned out to be Stage 3 melanoma. Piekarski's biopsy results were serious. She had immediate head and neck surgery, where a two-inch circle of her scalp and 14 lymph nodes were removed. She then underwent intense rounds of radiation. She started a drug trial, which was unsuccessful, and she was urgently switched to another trial at Princess Margaret Hospital. After eight weeks of initial treatment, the response was going well. So, she continued to receive treatment every two weeks in Toronto for the next six months before she was able to ring the bell in 2015. Ten years later, she's cancer-free but still follows recommendations to wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen when outdoors. 'It's not a little skin cancer on the surface of your skin. It is deep and it can get into your lymph nodes and into your bloodstream and it can move,' she said. Mole Mobile 'Mole Mobile' is visiting major Canadian cities with long wait times to see a dermatologist and underserved communities to help speed up diagnosis. (Eric Taschner/CTV News) She, along with her son Christopher, have organized walks for melanoma awareness in North Bay. She said she's happy knowing others are getting screened. Piekarski plans to even go to the Mole Mobile with her daughter for a quick followup. 'I think it's super important,' she said. During Melanoma Canada's last Mole Mobile tour in Ontario, more than 2,200 people were screened at 30 stops. Among them, dermatologists identified 56 potential melanomas, 148 suspected basal cell carcinomas and 36 possible cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. The Mole Mobile will be set up Friday at Sunset Park (across from Perreault's Prime Time Ice Fishing) from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. in North Bay. On Saturday, it will be in Sudbury at Bell Park, in the York Street South Parking Lot, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. On Sunday, it will be in Parry Sound at Canadian Tire, 30 Pine Dr., from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. No appointment is needed and the free skin check will be performed by a certified dermatologist.
