Ottawa pledges $675M for Gavi vaccine alliance, targets malaria, HPV doses

OTTAWA — The federal government is pledging $675 million for vaccination programs aimed at children in developing countries.

The office of International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen says the funding for Gavi, also known as the Vaccine Alliance, would be allocated from 2026 to 2030.

A news release says the spending would help provide new malaria vaccines to 50 million children and human papillomavirus protection to 120 million girls.

The funding would improve storage of children’s vaccine doses in remote areas and provide an unspecified number of vaccines for mpox, previously known as monkeypox.

The federal Liberals argue this funding would help prevent diseases that can spread across borders and lead to global instability.

Global Affairs Canada says Ottawa’s core funding for Gavi has come to more than $1.75 billion since 2015.

The funding likely would need to be approved in a parliamentary vote following the current prorogation, said Taryn Russell, executive director of Results Canada, an anti-poverty charity.

She said the announcement is “significant” although it falls short of the $720 million the aid sector had sought from Ottawa, a demand based on Gavi’s goals and Canada’s prior spending.

“It’s a respectable amount and most certainly will go a long way toward delivering on Gavi’s mission,” she said.

“Particularly right now, when we’ve seen a lot of other countries slash their aid budgets, it’s really heartening to see Canada commit.”

She called the malaria and HPV vaccines “really strong innovations that have the potential to have a huge impact.”

The One Campaign, which specializes in health systems and economic opportunities in Africa, praised the announcement and said future governments should also advance global health and partnerships on the continent.

“With this investment, Canada will help save lives of millions of women, young girls, and children around the world,” the group’s Canada director Elise Legault wrote in a statement.

“It shows that Canada is, and is willing to remain, a reliable partner in global development.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2025.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press