Finally, a politician who mentions the "social determinants of health"
http://www.nupge.ca/news_2003/n01de03a.htm

cc: [log in to unmask]
 [log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask],
[log in to unmask]
-----------------------------------------

A conversation with Jack Layton on World AIDS Day

Canada's NDP leader says Canadian Strategy
for HIV/AIDS falls short of what is required

Ottawa ? The global outlook for people with HIV/AIDS can perhaps best be
described as one of good news and bad news. The good news is that more is
known about the disease than ever before and, with appropriate programs in
place, it is preventable. Also, while the disease is still incurable,
medical treatment has dramatically increased the lifespan and the quality
of life for people who are infected.

The bad news is that infection rates are still growing worldwide. In Canada
it is estimated that 50,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS and there are
4,200 new infections a year. These new infections are predominantly
occurring among women, youth, aboriginals, and injection drug users.

On the global level, the situation is horrifying. More than 40 million
people are infected worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa up to one in three
people are living with HIV/AIDS. Prevention programs and medical treatment
are typically out of reach for most infected people living in the
developing world.

And yet the Canadian government seems unwilling to show true leadership in
addressing the crisis.

However, one Canadian political leader who has demonstrated a strong
commitment to the issue is New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton. His
involvement with the issue goes back to the 1980s when he was chair of the
Toronto Board of Health, and was centrally involved in establishing
Canada's first AIDS strategy. At the time, the approach was controversial
because it involved talking to public school kids about sex. The strategy
became a model that is now being used in cities across Canada. Most
recently it was adopted by Victoria.

On the occasion of World AIDS Day 2003, Layton agreed to answer a series of
questions from the National Union on Canada's national and international
response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

National Union: The Canadian Strategy for HIV/AIDS (CSHA) appears to be a
classic example of the Liberal government's approach to the issues ? fine
sounding rhetoric accompanied by inadequate funding and piecemeal programs.
Would that be a fair characterization?

Jack Layton: It is entirely fair because it is borne out by the facts. The
all-party Standing Committee on Health reached a very similar conclusion
five months ago. In 1993, when the Liberals took office, the government was
spending about $1,350 on the CSHA for every man, woman and child living
with HIV. Today, that number has been cut to nearly half. All the rhetoric
from Anne McLellan and Paul Martin about "healthy communities" and
"excellence in research" rings hollow for the approximately 54,000 people
who struggle with HIV while the Liberal government chooses tax cuts instead
of investment in the national AIDS strategy.

NU: Health Canada has engaged in a fairly thorough review of the CSHA and
has advocated some good progressive measures ? not the least of which is
increased funding. Community-based AIDS groups are pushing for action on
the review. Why the stalling?

Jack Layton: A lot of good work has been done by a broad coalition of
activists, health care workers and the Canadian AIDS Society to push CSHA
reform, including expanding its budget by $58 million. Svend Robinson, the
NDP health critic, supported the call for new money in the committee, as
well as help with drug costs.

Yet the government's response to the report has been disappointing. As for
the stalling, it's no secret that Paul Martin has signaled that everything
with a dollar sign attached to it is on hold until he takes over in
mid-December. Perhaps more worrisome is Martin's promise to review all
government spending to free up cash for his stated priorities: tax cuts and
debt reduction. Only continued pressure will keep needed CSHA reform on his
agenda.

NU: The HIV/AIDS crisis among First Nations people in Canada is a public
disgrace. What policies would the NDP suggest to address the problem?

Jack Layton: The explosion of the epidemic among the increasingly youthful
Aboriginal population will be devastating. And no one is more alert to the
need for change than First Nations leaders themselves. The proper response
must include education, affordable access to advanced life-prolonging
treatments, and acute and palliative care. This is not all new money, it is
also a change in the way Ottawa currently spends on aboriginal health,
including health education. The approach recommended by the Romanow
Commission on the Future of Health Care of regional, community or
locally-based health service partnerships is a worthy model.

The broader picture is that all of this needs to be done along with
initiatives to help First Nations provide affordable quality housing,
modern water and wastewater infrastructure, jobs, childcare, education and
other social determinants of health. Instead, we have a government that
picks fights with First Nations.

NU: Turning to the international AIDS crisis. Most Canadians were
encouraged by the government's announced changes to the Patent Act to allow
the export of generic HIV/AIDS medications to Africa and the developing
world. But almost immediately we have seen backtracking on the initiative.
Where does it stand at the moment? How can those of us concerned about it
help push it through?

Jack Layton: First, let me describe the sense of accomplishment and elation
among New Democrats when this legislation was first proposed. It was simply
excellent that so many progressive people, including Stephen Lewis, who has
worked tirelessly and unselfishly for so long, had helped move Prime
Minister Chrétien to act in a concrete way to provide international
leadership.

But the bill that they introduced in November needs work. Even the
government admits this now. It allows the patent drug industry not one, but
two opportunities to underbid the generic manufacturers.

We have some indication that Martin will revive bill C-56 when he
reconvenes the House of Commons in 2004. Our caucus plans to make certain
that the beneficiaries of the legislation will be African people fighting
with HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, and not merely the big drug companies.

Of course, Canadians living with HIV/AIDS need access to cheaper
medication, too. This is why we support a broader review of the drug patent
laws and the trade agreements that make drug prices Medicare's
fastest-growing expense.

NU: What else could Canada do to help address the global crisis? Why should
this be a concern for Canadians?

Jack Layton: You know, there's a lot more that individual Canadians can do.
First off, we should all be pressing our MPs and federal government to do
more.

The government pledged $150 million to the global fund to fight HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria in 2001. Since then, other countries have raised
their commitments and Oxfam, Stephen Lewis and a parliamentary committee
have called on the government to triple our contribution.

As an invited guest of Paul Martin, singer/activist Bono told the Liberal
convention that Martin doesn't know what he's in for. He said that he would
be relentless if Martin doesn't triple the contribution to the global fund.
He's right. We all should be relentless.

This concerns Canadians. We know that as long as there are people in the
world struggling with abject poverty, disease and environmental
degradation, our prosperity is hollow and fragile.

In the 1990s, Martin brought in $2.8 billion in cuts to foreign aid at
precisely the same time that the government-appointed president of the
Canadian International Development Agency, Huguette Labelle, was warning
that failure to assist the developing world would ultimately threaten
Canada's security and economic interests. She said that the growing gap
between rich and poor countries created "very fertile ground for
exploitation and terrorism."

In short, the cost of our inaction is a world that is miserably unfair and
gravely unstable.

Web posted by NUPGE: 1 December 2003

To unsubscribe send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] . To view archives or modify subscription see: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html