US embassy cable - 03OTTAWA1668

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001668 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES/IHA, OES/PCI, WHA/CAN (RUNNING) 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR OSTP 
 
HHS FOR OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, OFFICE OF 
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (STEIGER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO, EAID, EUN 
SUBJECT: Canadians Pleased with President's AIDS 
Initiative 
 
Ref.  SECSTATE 146483 
 
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Summary and Action Request 
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1. This cable contains an action request (para.9). 
 
2. ESTH Counselor and ESTH Specialist called on Ed 
Aiston, Director General for International Affairs, and 
Martin Methot, his deputy, in the Canadian Health 
Ministry to discuss the President's AIDS initiative. 
Aiston said the Canadian Government is very pleased 
with the new USG funding to fight HIV/AIDS, and he 
praised the leadership shown by the U.S. on this issue. 
Aiston and Methot asked whether the new AIDS/HIV funds 
will have any conditions on their disbursement, such as 
a requirement for matching funds from host governments 
or other sources.  Canadian financial commitments to 
the global fight against AIDS/HIV amount to C$470 
million (about US$347 million) between 2000 and 2005. 
The Canadian federal budget of February 2003 indicates 
an 8 percent increase in the International Assistance 
budget, and it is likely that AIDS/HIV funding will 
receive a boost over the coming few years from this 
source.  Aiston said that Secretary Thompson's 
announcement of the new AIDS funding at the recent 
World Health Assembly, along with the surprise USG 
support for the adoption of the Framework Convention on 
Tobacco Control, set the right tone for the recent 
World Health Assembly and contributed significantly to 
its success.  End Summary. 
 
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Canadians very pleased with USG AIDS Initiatives 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
3. Ed Aiston, Director General of International Affairs 
at Health Canada was effusive in his praise for the new 
USG funding initiative signed into law by the President 
on May 27th.  Aiston noted that Secretary Thompson's 
announcement of the new funds, made at the World Health 
Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, was "very, very, very well- 
received". 
 
4. Aiston, along with Martin Methot, Director of the 
International Health Division at Health Canada posed 
some questions to the EST Counselor and ESTH Specialist 
regarding the new funds.  Specifically, Aiston and 
Methot inquired whether USG funding for AIDS programs 
will require matching funds from other donors or 
whether any other conditions may apply.  Methot also 
asked whether U.S. programs for AIDS included funds for 
development of an AIDS vaccine.  Post would appreciate 
any clarification that WASHDC agencies could provide on 
these two questions.  See para.8. 
 
5. Aiston took the opportunity of the meeting with 
Emboffs, to note that Secretary Thompson's support for 
the adoption of the FCTC was extremely well-received by 
the assembled Health Ministers at the WHA.  He praised 
the Secretary's actions as a very strong example of 
leadership, which generated enormous goodwill and 
helped create a very positive tone for the Assembly. 
Aiston remarked also that Secretary Thompson's 
statement on the need for a strong and robust Global 
Public Health Surveillance system was an idea that was 
very well received at the WHA, and that Canada is eager 
to learn more detail about this proposal. 
 
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Canadian Funding for Global fight against AIDS 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
6. In the global fight against AIDS, Canada's 
contribution, on a per capita basis, is significant. 
Between 2000 and 2005 the GoC will invest C$270 million 
(about US$198 million) in the global fight against 
AIDS, via the Canadian International Development Agency 
(CIDA), the Canadian equivalent of USAID.  CIDA 
programs focus on working with community groups and 
local organizations to provide reproductive health 
services, training, education and counseling.  (CIDA 
often contracts with Health Canada to execute their 
programs, especially those involving capacity building 
because Health Canada has 75 to 100 staff members with 
clinical and public health expertise pertaining to 
HIV/AIDS, whereas CIDA has only a small policy planning 
staff managing the AIDS/HIV file.)  Methot told Embassy 
officers that Canadian AIDS funds support programs in 
India, China, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and 
the Caribbean. 
 
7. In addition, Canada has committed C$150 million 
(about US$110 million) to the Global Fund to fight 
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  The GoC has also 
committed C$50 million (about US$37 million) to the 
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.  Canadian funds 
have been used to build labs in Kenya and Uganda, with 
additional labs planned for Rwanda, Zambia and 
Cameroon. 
 
8. Aiston noted to Emboffs that the GoC Budget of 
February 18th, 2003 indicated that the federal 
government plans to increases Canada's International 
Assistance budget by 8 per cent in FY2003-2004 and 
again in FY 2004-05, this translates into an increase 
of C$1.4 billion (about US$1 billion).  Aiston 
anticipates that the GOC's AIDS funding will be 
augmented as a result, but no details are yet 
available.  Emboffs will be meeting with officials from 
CIDA on June 19 to discuss CIDA's role in GoC AIDS/HIV 
activities, and will seek their views on how much of 
the new International Assistance funding will be 
directed toward AIDS/HIV programs. 
 
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Action Request 
-------------- 
 
9. Action request: Post would appreciate clarification 
on whether under the President's initiative on AIDS, 
the U.S. will require matching funds from other donors 
or whether any other forms of conditionality may apply 
to disbursement of the funds.  Canadian officials are 
also interested in knowing to what extent the U.S. 
provides funding for the AIDS vaccine initiative. 
Response may be sent by email to ESTH Counselor Curt 
Stone at stonec@state.gov or to ESTH Specialist 
Locklear at locklearl@state.gov. 
 
Cellucci