Meeting Of March 19-20, 2000 Montréal, Quebec

Executive Committee
Special Working Group on Aboriginal Issues
Ad hoc Committee on Communications
Ad hoc Commitee on Canadian Institute for Health Research
Standing Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation
Championing Current and Emerging Issues
Business Arising
Additional Items
Presentations
Workplans

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee provided Council with a status report on its activities

 SPECIAL WORKING GROUP ON ABORIGINAL ISSUES

The Working Group presented its report to Council and recommended that

• the Ministerial Council support the establishment of a national Aboriginal action plan on HIV/AIDS that would involve Aboriginal and community leadership and federal/provincial/territorial governments;
• a letter on interjurisdictional issues and the crisis of HIV/AIDS among Aboriginals be sent to the Minister of Health;
• Council suggest to the Minister of Health that Aboriginal peoples be alerted to the potential crisis of the HIV epidemic;
• the document Situational Analysis: HIV/AIDS and Aboriginal people be updated to the end of fiscal year 1999-2000 and be made public.

Council approved the recommendations.

AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS

The Committee presented its report to Council on the following areas:

• Mandate: Council accepted the following revised mandate for the Ad Hoc Committee on Communications:
• advise Council on mechanisms for internal, external and interdepartmental communications;
• develop strategies for increasing public and stakeholder awareness of input to Council;
• work with Health Canada on the implementation of Council's communications strategy; and
• advise Council on communications strategies related to World AIDS Day, emerging issues and breaking news events.

Fact Sheet: A fact sheet on the Ministerial Council was approved to be posted on the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS website.

AD HOC COMMITTEE ON CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH

The Committee presented its report to Council. Council agreed to send a letter to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) expressing Council's concerns about the eligibility requirements of the CIHR's transitional program, Canadian Alliances for Health Research.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Committee presented its report to Council on the following areas:

Allocation process for the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS: Council discussed the Committee's recommendation to undertake a review of Strategy allocations for 2001-2002 and directed the Committee to continue developing the process pending further discussion of Council's proposed role in the process.
Evaluation Framework for Council: Council approved the Committee's recommendation to develop an evaluation framework for Council.

STANDING COMMITTEE ON CHAMPIONING OF CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES

The Committee presented its report to Council.

Correctional Service Canada: A meeting with the Commissioner is tentatively scheduled for March.
Women's Reference Group: A group has been formed and will meet for the first time in May. The Secretariat will explore opportunities for liaison between Council and the group.
Corporate involvement: Development of a request for proposal has been postponed until the Committee receives a report being prepared by Health Canada.
HIV vaccines: Council agreed that a letter should be sent to the Minister of Health urging him to ensure the survival of Ottawa's primate testing facility.
Rapid testing: Council directed the Secretariat to draft a letter to the Minister of Health highlighting recommendations from the Canadian HIV/AIDS
Legal Network's paper entitled Rapid HIV Screening at the Point of Care: Legal and Ethical Questions, which identify ethical and legal concerns raised by the release of point of care test kits.

BUSINESS ARISING

Next meeting -The next meeting is confirmed for June 25-26, 2000.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

An overview was provided of the Council's correspondence since the November 28-29, 1999, meeting.

• A letter from the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) inviting Council to participate in CAS AGM in July 2000. Council agreed to reply to CAS.
• A reply was received to Council's letter to the Laboratory Centre for Disease Control. Members will consider possible actions.
• Council directed the Secretariat to send a letter of thanks to the authors of The HIV/AIDS Epidemic Among Persons from HIV-Endemic Countries in Ontario, 1981-1998: Situation Report. Council will discuss the report at its next meeting.

Health Canada report

Health Canada's report to Council was tabled.

Research streams: An update was given on the community-based research and Aboriginal research streams. Council members asked that the National Health Research and Development Program (NHRDP) provide a status report on the recommendations-those that have been implemented and those that have not-from the summit in Victoria. They would also like to know the fundamental problems that the NHRDP sees with the recommendations and with its implementing community-based research.

Community-Based Research Capacity-Building Program: This program, to be implemented in 2000-2001, will build on the research capacity required to conduct community-based and Aboriginal research. Council directed the Secretariat to organize a discussion session with Health Canada officials in charge of the Program at Council's next meeting.

Financial status report: The financial status report for the period ending February 2000 was not available in time for the meeting. Health Canada was asked to provide a summary of the way in which Aboriginal research funds were allocated in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000.

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on AIDS report

The Ministerial Council received a report from FPT AIDS, which provided an update on FPT AIDS activities including:

• Collaboration between the FPT AIDS Working Group on Injection Drug Use (IDU) and other FPT committees on a coordinated multisectoral approach to IDU;
• Liaison between FPT AIDS and the FPT Heads of Corrections Working Group on HIV/AIDS and a possible joint meeting of the two groups;
• Development of strategies for ensuring that hard-to-reach pregnant women have access to HIV testing; and
• FPT AIDS members' work with others in their jurisdictions to ensure the potential benefits of point-of-care HIV testing are maximized while the potential harms are minimized

XIII International Conference in Durban, South Africa

Council recommended a strong Health Canada presence at the Conference.

PRESENTATIONS

Immigration - presentation and discussion

Health Canada representatives presented an overview of the Department's activities with respect to the screening of immigrants for HIV. Council agreed to send a letter to the Minister of Health informing him that Council is opposed to the mandatory screening of migrants and that further advice will be forthcoming after further examination of the issue.

Reconstitution of Council - discussion of process and development of recommendations

Council will send a letter to the Minister recommending that the following areas be considered when Council is being reconstituted:

• front-line health care;
• youth and the family;
• communities in which HIV is endemic.

 WORKPLANS

No new items