Canada announces $151 million for polio eradication, after outbreak in Gaza Strip
CTV
Canada is setting aside $151 million for the fight to eradicate polio worldwide. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced the news at a Rotary International conference in Toronto.
Canada is setting aside $151 million for the fight to eradicate polio worldwide.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced the news at a Rotary International conference in Toronto.
The funding comes a month after Palestinian officials announced the first cases of polio in 25 years in the Gaza Strip.
The funding will support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which provides vaccines to children worldwide, including more than a half-million kids in Gaza.
Hussen's office says the cash should help "the most vulnerable populations" such as girls in conflict situations where there is limited health-care access.
The World Health Organization says the world is on the verge of eradicating polio, with a 99 per cent drop in cases since 1988.
Over the last 24 years, various Canadian governments have spent $1 billion on the effort.
