Government of Canada invests in HIV/AIDS project in the Peel region

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 20, 2012 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq, Eve Adams, Member of Parliament for Mississauga - Brampton South, today announced support for a community-based project to help engage and support those living with HIV and AIDS in the Peel region.

"This project will improve access to care, treatment and support services for people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS in this region," said MP Adams. "Our government is pleased to be working with the Peel HIV/AIDS Network on a project that is bringing us one step closer in our fight against this disease."

The Peel HIV/AIDS Network is a community-based AIDS service organization that has been working with governments and other health-care providers for close to 20 years to serve the needs of those living with HIV and AIDS and to limit the spread of the virus through support, education and volunteerism. The project, "Empowerment and Transformation of People Living With and Affected by HIV/AIDS in the Region of Peel," will create diverse skill-development training and mentorship programs aimed at engaging and empowering those affected by this disease.

"By delivering health promotion, HIV prevention, awareness and education workshops, this funding will help build knowledge and further enhance the engagement of people living with HIV and AIDS," said Syed Raza, Board Chair, Peel HIV/AIDS Network.

This investment is part of the more than $72 million that the Government of Canada is currently investing, through the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada. A large portion of these funds assist community-based projects like this one in helping to:

• prevent the acquisition and transmission of new infections;
• slow the progression of the disease and improve quality of life; and
• reduce the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS.

More Information:

Fact Sheet: Peel HIV/AIDS Network [see below]
Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/fi-if/index-eng.php

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FACT SHEET                    April 2012

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BUILDING AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE OF HIV AND AIDS IN THE PEEL REGION

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SUMMARY

• As of 2008, an estimated 65,000 people were living with HIV in Canada. An estimated one-quarter of these individuals were not aware that they were infected which presents a challenge for prevention efforts.
  
  
• The Government of Canada is supporting a community-based organization that works to improve the lives of those living with or affected by HIV and AIDS in the Peel region.
  
  
• The "Empowerment and Transformation of People Living With and Affected by HIV/AIDS in the Region of Peel" project is being funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada ($166,112 over two years) and carried out by the Peel HIV/AIDS Network.

Project Description

This project will increase access to HIV/AIDS care, treatment and support services and aims to build knowledge and increase the engagement of people living with HIV and AIDS in the region by providing skills development and peer-based training and learning.

The project will be led by the Peel HIV/AIDS Network, whose mission is to serve diverse people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and to limit the spread of the virus through support, education, advocacy and volunteerism.

Project activities will include designing and implementing a structured mentorship program for people living with HIV/AIDS and providing training and a series of skill building workshops on various HIV/AIDS related topics such as service access barriers and stigma, ethno-cultural challenges, health promotion and treatment information.

About the Government of Canada's Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada

The Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada is a partnership of four federal departments and agencies: the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Correctional Service of Canada. Through this initiative, the Government of Canada collaborates with provincial and territorial governments, non-governmental organizations, researchers, health care professionals, and people living with, and vulnerable to, HIV/AIDS to prevent its spread, slow its progression, and improve the quality of life of people living with the disease.

The Government of Canada is currently investing over $72 million to support programs under this initiative. A large portion of these funds assist community-based projects across Canada in making a meaniÉgalement disponible en françaisngful difference in the lives of people at risk for and living with HIV/AIDS.

Également disponible en français

 

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