Education Key to AIDS Prevention

A recent $166,000 Public Health Agency of Canada grant (US $166,000) should boost AIDS Niagara’s programs to reduce HIV in at-risk area residents — including First Nations, Inuit and Metis. The two-year award will go toward assessing the learning needs of high-risk populations; developing an awareness campaign, materials and resources; and providing peer-led training to deliver local prevention presentations.

Glen Walker, executive director of AIDS Niagara, said the area sees about seven new HIV infections a year, “but that’s seven too many.” HIV/AIDS education is the critical link not only to prevention but also to reducing disease-related stigma, he said.

“Unfortunately there are many people who never tell anyone when they get it,” Walker said of HIV. “You’ll have people who will not tell their families because they fear they will be shamed, or they will be ostracized in communities.” “There’s even a stigma out there about getting tested,” he added.

The grant is part of more than $72 million earmarked for addressing HIV/AIDS across Canada. The federal funds are being used for community-based initiatives seeking to prevent new infections, slow the progression of the disease, and reduce its social and economic impact.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!