Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week

Checkout the website for more info.http://aboriginalaidsawareness.com/

Saskatchewan’s escalating HIV rates set the stage for leaders to gather in Regina for the launch of Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week 2010 in Canada (December 1 – 5, 2010).
On December 1, 2010, the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN) will be hosting a special presentation and luncheon to share the knowledge, expertise and work addressing Aboriginal HIV/AIDS issues in Canada. This convergence of cultural, social, health and political events during Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week is a demonstration of the importance of dedicated attention to the Aboriginal HIV/AIDS agenda.CAAN’s AAAW event will be a gathering where sharing, networking, poster presentations and knowledge are exchanged. The forum connects national Aboriginal organizations, government partners and health care providers to better understand what is driving this epidemic. First Nations, Métis and Inuit make up a unique segment of the concentrated HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada. Diverse panel discussions, lectures, and cultural sharing promise to keep Aboriginal communities and the general public engaged in the Aboriginal HIV/AIDS movement in Canada.

Aboriginal people deserve access to health care and respect for their human rights, especially as it relates to Aboriginal people living with HIV/AIDS and those at risk. However, discrimination, ignorance and stigma cause serious road blocks – in our communities and in places where our people receive health care – and challenge our ability to meet these basic rights, which threatens the very integrity of Aboriginal families.

Aboriginal people are the largest group affected and of those who test positive: 48.8% are women, and 32.6% are youth. It is the goal of this event to put a face to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS with the theme of “Respect & Honor Equals Healthy Mother, Healthy Child.” It is only by remedying the “Discrimination, Ignorance and Stigma (D.I.S.)” associated with the virus that the Aboriginal community will be granted better access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

It’s time for Canada to step up for all Aboriginal families living with HIV/AIDS. The Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network asks you to make a difference and learn how Respect plus Honor equals Healthy Mother, Healthy Child during Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week.

Please join us as in acknowledging the knowledge, expertise and work within Aboriginal HIV/AIDS in Canada.

In Solidarity,

Ken Clement,
Chief Executive Officer,
Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network