24th June, 2010
Toronto, usually known as a safe city has become a bunker in anticipation of the G20 Summit later this week. With thousands of police and security personnel converging on the metropolis, a 9 foot fence has been erected surrounding the perimeter of a no-go zone in the heart of the city.
With many citizens wisely avoiding the downtown core, the brave souls who live here or dutifully ventured to city-centre offices felt a tremor Wednesday afternoon. The 5.0 earthquake, centred north of Ottawa, shook the CIDA headquarters where AMREF staff were holding meetings.
Despite these reminders of security and safety threats, AMREF is excited to be heading into the G8 and G20 Summits, with two key health experts in Toronto for the week Dr John Nduba, AMREF’s Director of Reproductive and Child Health and Victoria Kimotho, AMREF’s Research Lead have hit the ground running with presentations, interviews, meetings and events since Monday.
With Maternal and Child Health high on the agenda for the Summits, AMREF is getting its voice heard because of its leadership and expertise in the area.
“AMREF knows we must urge leaders to deliver basics health care for women in Africa,” says Dr. Nduba at the AMREF office in Toronto, on Tuesday afternoon. “Infrastructure, human resources for health and working with communities and governments are all vital to stopping the unnecessary deaths of mothers and children.”
AMREF’s goal is clear – to do what it takes to ensure better health for the most marginalised and disadvantaged in Africa, especially the one in 16 women who risk dying each year across Africa in pregnancy and childbirth. By training midwives and equipping health centres, AMREF has seen much success in places like Southern Sudan, where the maternal mortality rate is the highest on earth.
AMREF staff in Canada are enthusiastic and excited about the opportunities this week presents. With G8 and G20 leaders on Canadian soil, we have a great opportunity to help leaders understand the value and the significance of our work, and it’s an opportunity that we can’t pass up, even if it means staying in Toronto with the barricades and earthquakes.
In any case, the Muskokas, positioned few hundred kilometres north and a popular and nature-filled weekend getaway for many southern Ontarians, will also be off limits in anticipation of the G8 leaders who kick off their two day Summit on Friday.
Stay tuned for daily G8 and G20 updates from AMREF in Canada at www.amrefcanada.org or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
