Sign the letter here.
The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister and Minister Anand,
On behalf of the undersigned civil society and community-led organizations engaged in global health and international development, we take note of the following highlighted themes communicated in the Chair’s Summary of the G7 Development Ministers’ meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 17, 2025: the value of official development assistance; the centrality of domestic resources in funding basic services such as health and education; and the importance of mobilizing all sources of financing including in support of economic growth and sustainable development. Acknowledging that the Ministerial meeting was held on the margins of the Annual World Bank and IMF meetings, we are disappointed by the lack of progress to accelerate prior G7 commitments in response to the current global crisis in health equity and international development. We echo the Civil 7 in urging the G7 to revisit these issues and expand upon these crucial discussions during the upcoming G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on November 11-12, 2025.
In a year marked by unprecedented financial upheaval, uncertainty, escalating conflict, climate catastrophe, growing hostility towards science, and human suffering proliferating in countries and regions around the world, Canada’s global health and human rights leadership on the international stage as G7 President is exceedingly pivotal. As a platform to advance domestic and global issues of critical significance, Canada’s G7 Presidency is also an integral foreign policy arena where Canada has historically and successfully promoted and protected core Canadian values of equality, fairness, respect for human rights, social justice, inclusivity, peace and global solidarity, and cooperation through internationalism.
We know from the severe challenges posed by COVID-19 and other infectious diseases that global health is a global public good and that human wellbeing, sustainable development, global economic prosperity, and peace can only be achieved when societies are healthy and safe. We are gravely concerned by the recent retreat from international cooperation as well as rapidly dwindling official development assistance and global health investment despite their integral contribution to the aims of broader sustainable development and stability. Strong investment in health and community systems reinforces global health security and helps to keep everyone safe.
Development assistance and global health investments have contributed to an increase of more than ten years in global life expectancy since 2000. These investments have driven a substantial reduction in child mortality, strengthened nutrition and sanitation standards, and supported major progress in healthcare, notably through broader access to antibiotics and vaccines. As an example of the momentous impact of global health investments, two decades of grants from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund) in Ethiopia[1] have both dramatically improved health outcomes across the population and have led to significantly increased life expectancy, economic growth, and rapidly increasing exports. This has been happening despite the challenges the country has been experiencing in recent years including conflict, population displacement, food insecurity, and extreme weather events. More specifically:
- Ethiopia’s GDP in 2023 was almost 20 times what it was in 2000, and GDP per capita has quadrupled over the past decade.
- Ethiopia’s labor force has more than doubled, growing from 3.9 million people in 2003 to 9.2 million people in 2018.
- From 2018 to 2023, Ethiopian exports rose by 72.4%, climbing from US$2.25 billion in 2018 to US$3.88 billion in 2023.
- Primary school enrollment rose from around 50% in 2000 to 84% in 2023.
- Ethiopia saw an 80% reduction in the mortality rate from AIDS, TB and malaria, which is a stunning achievement considering that the country’s population also grew by 80% during this same time period.
- Reducing the burden of HIV, TB and malaria in the country has resulted in a 71% reduction in under-5 deaths from these diseases and maternal deaths have dropped by 73% over the past two decades.
- Life expectancy has increased by 16 years from 51 years to 67 years in 2023, with 21% of this progress due to gains against HIV, TB and malaria.
The results and impact of such vital global health investments by Canada and other G7 are widely visible in low- and middle-income countries across the globe. This means greater and more equitable access to health care, improved population health outcomes, stronger health and community systems that are resilient against future pandemics, and greater domestic resources for basic services. The cumulative impact of these investments directly translates to new and stronger trading partners for Canada and other G7 countries. The message is clear: ensuring ongoing commitment to delivering robust levels of ODA and global health investments are strategic investments for everyone, building soft power, goodwill and influence which we can – and often do– use to leverage private sector investment and further the economic, social, and geopolitical interest of G7 countries.
We understand that both international and innovative financing mechanisms are vital for securing sustainable funding for global health. We support the Eighth Replenishment efforts of the Global Fund as a vital source of international funding that supports local leadership to combat infectious diseases, strengthens sustainable health and community systems, and as a proven model that has demonstrated effective partnerships for better global health security.
Recalling our avid commitments to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as well as to prior G7 commitments, initiatives, and outcomes documents, we urge Canada and all G7 leaders to ensure global health, local leadership, and international development are central to discussions at the upcoming G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in November. We are counting on the meeting outcomes to translate into transformative commitments that advance global health equity, human rights, and sustainable development.
CC: Deputy Minister and Personal Representative of the Prime Minister to the G7 (Sherpa), Cindy Termorshuizen
Secretary of State for International Development, Randeep Sarai
Signed,
HIV Legal Network
[1] Impact and Return on Health Investment: Ethiopia. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, https://www.theglobalfund.org/media/3zrnxtlc/impact_ethiopia_report_en.pdf