Canada is contributing $151 million to the fight to eradicate polio from the world.
Minister of International Development Ahmed Hussen announced the news at the Rotary International Conference in Toronto.
The funding comes one month after the Palestinian Authority announced the first cases of polio in the Gaza Strip in 25 years.
The funds will be used to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which provides vaccines to children around the world, including more than 500,000 children in the Gaza Strip.
Hussen’s office said the money should help “the most vulnerable,” such as girls in conflict zones with limited access to health care.
The World Health Organization says polio cases have fallen by 99 percent since 1988 and the world is close to eradicating the disease.
Over the past 24 years, Canadian governments have spent $1 billion on this effort.
“Together we will eradicate polio and build a healthier future for children around the world,” Hussen said in a statement.
Polio has no cure and can cause permanent paralysis, including of the muscles used for breathing.
Still, vaccination campaigns are under strain as humanitarian crises and the COVID-19 pandemic divert resources and make it harder to vaccinate children.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2024.
