Sylvie Paillard
[email protected]
AIDS and HIV experts are coming to Squamish to broaden the knowledge of local treatment and care providers.
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in partnership with BC Persons with AIDS Society is holding three free workshops on HIV/AIDS treatment in the Sea to Sky corridor. Entitled the ABCs of HIV Treatment and Care, the program has teams travel to rural and urban communities across BC and the Yukon to give presentations to HIV-positive people and their caregivers.
"I think the whole idea of a peer group involvement is key to deal with prevention of this disease," said local Coast Garibaldi medical officer Dr. Paul Martiquet.
The program aims to create networks between AIDS service organization and health care providers in each community. The ABCs team also hopes to provide current information to HIV positive people throughout the region.
The region's statistics on HIV and AIDS mirrors Canada's average, according to Martiquet. From 1999 to 2004, the range of HIV positive cases has varied mildly from 10 to 14 confirmed cases.
"Unfortunately we're not seeing a significant decline in HIV numbers," said Martiquet.
But programs such as needle exchange and safe sex education do have a positive impact.
"I would say we're definitely seeing an impact and that's shown by the increasing numbers of the needle exchange and the number of people that have come to treatment because of it," said Martiquet.
To date, the ABCs of HIV Treatment and Care program has visited more than 25 communities across British Columbia and the Yukon, often reaching communities that have no access to an extensive amount of treatment-related resources.
Workshops are open to anyone interested. The ABCs team will be at the Garibaldi Room of the Howe Sound Inn on Tuesday (Jan. 17) from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. to register, contact Nancy Haffey, RN, Squamish General Hospital at 604-892-5211 ext. 309.
