Cablegate: Goc Plans for Who Polio Consultation

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DE RUEHOT #0349 0571802
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261802Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5066
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0068
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1066
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0782
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0107
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RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3300
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0595
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1226
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0288

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000349

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA, OES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO EAID SENV CA
SUBJECT: GOC PLANS FOR WHO POLIO CONSULTATION

REF: STATE 20845

1. (U) ESTH discussed WHO DG Chan's upcoming high-level
consultation on polio eradication with GOC officials from
Health Canada and Foreign Affairs Canada and provided a
non-paper drawn from reftel. Our interlocutors were well
aware of Dr. Chan's initiative but were still deciding who
would represent Canada in Geneva and were thus grateful to
learn who planned to lead the U.S. delegation. They have
since advised that Canada will be represented at the
consultation by Geneva mission CIDA counselor Peter Oldham
and CIDA senior health advisor Garry Aslanyan.

2. (SBU) Canadian officials were likewise aware of the
funding gap facing the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in
2007-08. They noted the importance Canada attaches to
eradicating polio and stressed that Prime Minister Harper was
fully supportive and considered the GPEI a priority. At the
meeting, the delegation will reinforce continuing strong
Canadian support for polio eradication efforts. Canada
contributed C$45 million to polio eradication in 2006-07, and
was contributing an additional C$5 million for polio
eradication in Afghanistan. Our contacts said Canada had
made no decisions about additional contributions to meet the
funding gap, but noted active development assistance programs
in the regions where polio seemed to be making a comeback.
Any immediate additional support would be focused on efforts
at the country level in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
(Canada does not have a donor relationship with India, at the
latter's request.)

Visit Canada's Classified Web Site at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/ottawa

WILKINS

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