OTTAWA: Today marks the 25th annual World AIDS Day, and The Green Party of Canada is calling on the Canadian government to do more to address this urgent health crisis both in our own country and around the world.
Since 1988, there have been remarkable improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, but much remains to be done. In 2012, an estimated 2.3 million people globally were newly infected with HIV, among whom 260,000 were children.
In Canada, rates of new HIV/AIDS infection have slowed over the past decade, but the disease remains a very real threat and one that disproportionately affects our country’s most vulnerable communities. In 2011, the HIV infection rate for Aboriginal Canadians was approximately 5 times higher than the rate for the total Canadian population, but many cases still go unreported and accurate data has historically been difficult to obtain.
The Green Party of Canada is calling on the Harper administration to increase the resource investment in harm reduction, prevention and education directed to high-risk populations, particularly as the stigma associated with HIV remains a barrier to effective treatment.
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Contact:
Nicholas Gall
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
Cell: 613 614 4916
[email protected]