
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.
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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.
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Global News
9 minutes ago
- Global News
From tree cover to green roofs, how are cities fighting extreme heat?
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- Cision Canada
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Montreal Gazette
8 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Opinion: From Taipei to Montreal: Ideas that can transform our city
Op Eds Montrealers know frustration by heart: a métro stalled between stations; a hospital queue that stretches late into the night; a complaint submitted to a public office, never acknowledged. Orange cones linger for months, and AI researchers worry a chip delay could halt their work. These bottlenecks sap productivity and erode public trust. Taiwan shows none of this is inevitable. As part of the 2025 Mosaic Taiwan Fellowship, organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we spent two weeks immersed in Taiwan's society and policy landscape. We joined 30 other Canadian and American participants for site visits, lectures and conversations with public officials, entrepreneurs and community builders. We saw how Taiwan's public services blend efficient infrastructure with thoughtful, user-centred design. These weren't theories. They were working systems. On time, on budget and built with care. Let's start with the chips. Montreal's tech ecosystem runs on silicon: Mila 's AI breakthroughs, CAE's flight simulators, university photonics and quantum labs. Today, roughly 90 per cent of the world's most advanced chips are fabricated in Taiwan. That makes our research economy vulnerable. Luckily, Bromont already hosts Canada's largest micro-electronics hub. Quebec should leverage that strength by attracting a mid-size Taiwanese design studio or packaging facility and launching a joint research chair on resilient supply chains. A strategic investment in long-term economic security. Taiwan's health care system offers another clear model. While Quebec's RAMQ card has limited functionality, Taiwan's National Health Insurance card stores a patient's recent prescriptions, visit summaries and insurance status in a secure chip. It settles claims instantly and links to a national electronic records system. The result? Shorter outpatient wait times, direct access to specialists, and a system that costs about half as much — roughly six per cent of GDP. As Quebec upgrades its digital infrastructure, a smart health card could cut paperwork, reduce errors, and deliver more dignity for patients and providers. And then there's the métro. In Taipei's transit system, platform screen doors prevent accidents and keep trains moving. Painted 'politeness lines' cue riders into quiet, orderly queues. Lights show where the doors will open; priority seats are respected. The effect is tangible: calm platforms, silent cars and a culture of respect. Montreal's REM shows platform doors work here too, yet the STM's Blue Line extension is being planned without them. Quebec should mandate barriers on all new builds and launch pilot campaigns with decals and courtesy messaging at stations like Berri-UQAM. This kind of design shapes how we move. Courtesy is engineered, not wished for. Taiwan also models new ways of listening to citizens. Through platforms like vTaiwan and Join, people can propose policies and collaborate on decisions, from Uber regulations to mask distribution. It's fast, transparent, and builds trust. Montreal's civic tech sector is growing, but often disconnected from public decision-making. A public innovation unit could test digital engagement tools and close that gap. Even construction felt different in Taiwan. Work sites were organized, timelines posted, detours sensible. Métro extensions advanced with visible co-ordination between utilities, transit agencies and contractors. In Quebec, the opposite often feels true. Requiring integrated project delivery models and publishing real-time dashboards would help projects move faster, building public trust. Taiwan's population may be smaller than Canada's, but its innovations in civic design and delivery are ready to be adapted, scaled and implemented in Montreal. With more provincial budgets to come, and the continuing expansion of the REM, our leaders have a chance to act. Mandating platform doors, piloting a digital health card, anchoring a chip partnership, testing digital engagement, and requiring smarter construction tools aren't moonshots. They're practical, proven steps aligned with global best practices. Montreal has the expertise and appetite for change. It just needs the policy to catch up. We saw what's possible in Taiwan. Why not in Montreal? Michael Lecchino is a marketing student at Concordia's John Molson School of Business and president of the Conseil jeunesse de LaSalle. Nicolas Bastien-Carignan studies political science at Université du Québec à Montréal. Patrick Girard is a master's candidate in public and international affairs at Université de Montréal.