The AIDS Crisis – Have Your Voice Heard!

Get Active About the Issue of HIV/AIDS

More than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS. In the developing world, 6 million need antiretroviral drugs, yet just over 1 million have access to them. Without these medicines, the rest will die. These deaths are preventable and unnecessary. The AIDS pandemic is one of the greatest public health crises in history. You can do something about the crisis and join a nation wide movement to support prevention programs and provide universal access to treatment.

Call on our government to take four steps to fight the global crisis—increase aid, increase access to affordable medicines, cancel the debt and support public health care systems in developing countries. Learn how with this AIDS Community Mobilization Kit.

Canada is in a position to be a world leader in fighting the crisis. We are asking that Canada:

• pay our fair share of the global response, by doubling current funding for research into anti-HIV vaccines and microbicides, contributing 5% of what is needed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for each of the next five years until 2010, and setting a timetable for raising our other aid contributions to the international target of 0.7% of national income;
• invest in public health care systems in developing countries, including supporting their efforts to train and retain desperately needed health care workers;
• promote immediate and unconditional cancellation of 100% of the debt burden of the countries most burdened by AIDS and poverty; and
• remove red tape in Canada’s law on exporting lower-cost medicines, while working with generic drug-makers and developing countries to improve access to needed drugs. You have a voice in the fight against AIDS – make it heard. Call, write or visit your Member of Parliament to find out where they and their party stand in these issues. This platform was developed by the Global Treatment Access Group to find out more: http://www.aidslaw.ca/en/issues/GTAG.htm