House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2011, with 55% of the vote.
Maternal and Child Health March 25th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, let me again just say that what we want to do is to ensure we take real action and save the lives of mothers and children. We already debated it in the House. We are going to move forward. We do not want to play political games. This is an important issue. We know we can make strides. We are receiving information. We are reading reports. I know that Canada will make a difference in the lives of those mothers and children.
International Cooperation March 23rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, as I have clearly said, we want to ensure that Canadians are contributing and making a difference in lives where there is the greatest need. Right now, we see mothers dying and children who are not surviving their infant stage. We want to ensure we can address these issues.
In fact, we know that the main causes of child mortality are neonatal causes, pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and HIV and AIDS. We have been doing a good job at this, but we know all the G8 countries will focus on this and actually show real results.
International Cooperation March 23rd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, our government wants, and we have articulated this, to save the lives of mothers and children based on facts and evidence. I would like to put another fact before us. Between 1993 and 2006, under a Liberal government, maternal mortality decreased by only 1% per year.
That is not a stellar record. The Liberals may want to politicize this matter. We want to really make a difference, save the lives of some mothers and help children so that they can have a fruitful future.
Business of Supply March 23rd, 2010
Madam Speaker, I appreciate that the member is demonstrating that this is not the time nor the place to open up a debate on abortion. I want to also ensure that we have stipulated very clearly that we are open to all options, and it is specifically for clarification, including contraception. As the member and many of us know, there are many ways and many paths we can follow to improve the health of mothers and babies.
What our government has been committed to from day one is to ensure that its international assistance is effective, will get results and will make a difference in the lives of women and children.
I would refer members to the UNESCO report that states that the single most effective way to address maternal and child mortality is access to health care systems and trained professionals. That is consistent with our attempt to analyze and see how we can be effective, use taxpayer dollars in a meaningful way and get real results.
Business of Supply March 23rd, 2010
Madam Speaker, as clearly just demonstrated, here again, as we have said, is a transparent attempt to open an abortion debate in this House. We have clearly stated from the beginning that we have no intention of opening the abortion debate.
What we have said is that we are open to considering all options, including contraception, and addressing them. Measures, according to statistics, as I said in my presentation, are making very little progress and in many countries, particularly in Africa, are increasing those mortality rates. We cannot stand by. We need to ensure we are effective and have some results in increasing the health of women and children.
Business of Supply March 23rd, 2010
Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont.
As the Minister of International Cooperation, I am proud of the government's initiative to champion a very important cause at Canada's G8 summit. It is estimated that half a million women die each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In the developing world, a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth every minute of every day. What makes it worse is that the bulk of the deaths during pregnancy, as much as 80% of the deaths, according to experts, are easily preventable.
The numbers on child mortality are equally concerning. According to UNICEF, the World Bank and the World Health Organization, approximately nine million children die each year before their fifth birthday. In developing countries they are dying from illness and diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia and HIV/AIDS, and nearly 750,000 children under the age of five die of malaria, mostly in Africa.
This is simply unacceptable, especially considering that the solutions are relatively inexpensive. The cost of clean water, inoculations, and better nutrition, as well as the training of health care workers to care for women and deliver healthy babies is within the reach of any country in the G8.
This government understands the urgency of this issue. Over the past decade we have seen the least progress made in improving maternal and child health, and in some developing countries we even see these mortality rates increasing.
As pointed out at the Canadian Conference on International Health last fall, a society has little chance to thrive if it fails to keep its mothers and babies healthy. For this reason, maternal and child health is one of the three key paths in CIDA's priority of securing a future for children and youth. This means starting with the mother and ensuring that women are able to have a safe, healthy pregnancy so they can take care of their children.
Canada is already fulfilling these objectives in a number of ways. For starters, we recognize that our initiative is just one part of improving maternal and child health.
The United Nations population fund estimates that fulfilling the unmet need for modern contraceptives could lead to 150,000 fewer maternal deaths and 640,000 fewer newborn deaths every year. For example, in Tanzania, in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania and Marie Stopes Tanzania, CIDA supports six project centres that have reached 400,000 Tanzanians with services such as antenatal care, immunization, treatment of sexually transmitted infections, counselling and maternal and child health care.
Increasing access to health services is also a key programming area for CIDA-supported international work. In addition, responding to the needs in developing countries, health care is integrated with other CIDA-supported health related activities.
Many experts and international reports, such as UNESCO, have reported that the single most effective way to reduce maternal mortality is access to health care systems and trained health care providers.
In western Mali, CIDA's support has helped to ensure that skilled health care workers attend almost half of all deliveries. Through CIDA's support for the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and its partners in Guatemala, approximately 733 health professionals have been trained to improve the health of mothers and newborns during childbirth.
The other equally important part of our maternal and child health path is to promote a healthy start for infants and young children so they may later attend school and become active and contributing members in their communities.
We are working to ensure children have access to proper nutrition, clean water and medical services, like immunization and neo-natal care. We are helping to provide vitamin A, iodine and other micronutrients, which play a crucial role in the health of young children and mothers.
As a founding partner and principal donor of the micronutrient initiative, Canada is well known for its leadership on vitamin A and iodine. Indeed, UNICEF has said that Canada's support for iodized salt programs has saved 6 million children from mental impairment.
Each year, waterborne diseases contribute to the deaths of over 10 million children under five years of age, particularly in Africa. Our government has invested approximately $208 million in the area of clean water supply and sanitation worldwide between 2006 and 2009 which has resulted in better access to clean water for hundreds of thousands of people.
Canada is also saving children's lives through the catalytic initiative to save a million lives. In fact, CIDA was the first to support this UNICEF initiative in the training and equipping of front line health workers to deliver modern malaria treatments, bed nets, antibiotics for infections and other key health services to children and vulnerable groups.
The need is great and we have an opportunity to make a real difference. This government has given long and careful thought to this. We have gone to great lengths to ensure that our efforts are guided by sound evidence and CIDA has already started work with our G8 partners in order to develop the most effective approach.
I have personally met with a wide variety of experienced partners, stakeholders and practitioners in the field of maternal and child health in developing countries, including organizations such as CARE Canada, UNICEF Canada, World Vision Canada, Save the Children Canada, RESULTS Canada and Plan International.
I met with representatives of the Canadian Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. Their collective experience and knowledge represents potential and hope: potential for Canadian leadership and meaningful action. In fact, the G8 countries, development organizations and non-governmental organizations have all expressed their support for the Prime Minister's focus on maternal and child health for this year's G8 summit.
Over the next few months, we will continue to work in order to find the best approach. A development ministerial meeting will be held in Halifax from April 26 to 28 to further develop the initiative in preparation for the June leadership summit.
We will be voting against the motion before the House. This motion is a transparent attempt to reopen the abortion debate that we have clearly said we have no intention of getting into. By voting against this motion, we are proving that we will not open the abortion debate. In addition, the motion contains a rash, extreme anti-American rhetoric that we cannot as a matter of foreign policy support.
Improving the health of mothers and children under the age of five is important. It is urgently needed and not an option. It is an obligation. We owe it to Canadians and we owe it to the millions of women and children who need our help the most.
International Cooperation March 22nd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, Canada's G8 is a great opportunity for us to address child and maternal health. It is an area that needs significant work in order to save lives.
That is why we are saying we will be discussing this at the G8, and we are not closing the door on any options that are going to save lives of mothers and children, including contraception.
We have also been very clear that we are not opening any debate on abortion.
International Cooperation March 22nd, 2010
Mr. Speaker, I think we have been very clear that at the G8, the leaders of the G8 countries will be discussing all options without closing doors on any option. Every country will be able to come forward and indicate how it proposes to support and save the lives of mothers and children.
We will discuss and chart the way forward to address this important issue. We are not closing the door on any options that will save lives.
International Cooperation March 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, again, I do not know how to be more clear. I thank the member for adding some more information that will be taken into consideration by all the G8 leaders. In fact, as I said, they will discuss this and they will chart the way forward to help mothers and children and to save their lives.
For the member, we do have the facts. We know that most of the women and children who are now dying are occurring in Africa and in Southeast Asia. That is the problem we want to—
International Cooperation March 18th, 2010
Mr. Speaker, let me again be very clear and reiterate that at the G8 the leaders will discuss maternal and child health. In fact, as I have articulated, there are no doors being closed even including contraception. There will be fulsome discussion and they will chart a way forward to help save the lives of mothers and children.