Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Local News

Hey Stephen Harper - Universal Action starts at home

AIDS Committee of North Bay and Areas News Release ******************** This week researchers, community service providers, people living with HIV/AIDS and policy makers will take part in the largest gathering of HIV/AIDS workers in the world being h
Kate Adams
AIDS Committee of North Bay and Areas
News Release

********************

This week researchers, community service providers, people living with HIV/AIDS and policy makers will take part in the largest gathering of HIV/AIDS workers in the world being held in Mexico City. People will come from countries around the world to share their best practices, their successes and their learning from studying what has not worked. Among these researchers and workers, several hundred Canadians will be making their way to this gathering to share their experiences gained over the past two years. Imagine for a moment what they will have to share.

They are not going to be telling the story about how Canadians have managed to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in the hardest hit communities. They are not going to be touting innovative public policies focused on harm reduction and people who use drugs. They are not there to talk about government support for innovative responses that will stop the emerging epidemic. These are all things that Canada should be doing. As a resource-rich country, we have no excuse, we should be meeting the challenge – domestically and internationally to respond to AIDS.

Instead we are seeing cuts to federal funding that was set aside to fund community efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. These cuts amount to almost twelve million dollars. Our widely-touted Canadian HIV Vaccines Initiative has seen little movement, save a call for research and a production facility – a facility to produce a product that is years, if not decades, from being discovered. We are failing people living with HIV/AIDS. We are failing people who are living in high-risk situations and we are failing at ensuring that Canadians are not at risk from an entirely preventable disease.

The theme for this year’s conference is Universal Action Now. We all have a responsibility to take action. It is time for Canada to take action at home. Don’t let us slip back on our commitments. Don’t fail the Canadian community.

********************