Toronto - Hon. Beverley Oda, Canada’s Minister of International Cooperation, announced Saturday that Canada will fund health and community development in the province of Kandahar to the tune of CAN $45 million. The funding is going to programs to fight polio and tuberculosis, build local governance and improve access to maternal health services at the Mirwais Hospital.

The minister made the announcement at the Afghan Independence Day festivity hosted by the Afghan Association of Ontario in Toronto. Also present, Ambassador Omar Samad, thanked Canada for making good on its pledges to help the Afghans.

The Ambassador said, "this allocation is vital to our overall attempt at creating the enabling environment for peace and economic progress, especially in Kandahar province."

He added, "I am certain that thousands of lives will be touched and even saved by these contributions. Much has been achieved over the past few years, and the overall Canadian contribution has been outstanding."

Remembering the three Canadian soldiers killed in Southern Afghanistan last week, Amb. Samad said, "due to many decades of conflict and regional complexities, Afghanistan will not be rebuilt nor stabilized within a few short years. Security, development, good governance, rule of law, human rights and democratic rights are part of the wishes and aspirations of the Afghan people, and that is why they have welcomed international assistance in all fields to attain those objectives as fast as possible."

The funding announced Saturday is part of Canada's total contribution of more than $1.2 billion over 10 years aimed at helping Afghanistan’s Afghanistan.

Embassy of Afghanistan

August 26, 2007