Public Record of Meeting - May 6-7, 2005
Toronto, Ontario

The Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS was created to advise the Minister of Health on aspects of HIV/AIDS that have a national scope. The Minister of Health meets with the Ministerial Council at least once a year to receive its advice and recommendations, and reports annually to Canadians on the progress of the Federal Initiative to Address AIDS in Canada. Additionally, the Ministerial Council provides ongoing advice and communications to the Minister throughout the year.

The Public Record of Meeting (PROM) that follows provides an overview of the issues, information and recommendations discussed at the May 6-7, 2005, meeting of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS. Where appropriate, discussion points and action items are reported to the public within the PROM. For a detailed summary of activities, please refer to the annual report which the Ministerial Council publishes every June for the preceding year ending March 31. Annual reports are available for download from the Ministerial Council's website:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/fi-if/minister-eng.php

Present:

Ministerial Council : Lindy Samson (Co-Chair); Mary Armstrong, Richard Elliott, Dionne A. Falconer, Deborah Foster, Jacqueline C. Gahagan, Michael Grant, Brian Huskins, Enrico Mandarino (May 6), Kenneth Monteith, David M. Nelson, Anita Rachlis, Sheena Sargeant. Ex-officio: Frank McGee, Provincial Co-Chair, Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on AIDS; Frank Plummer (May 7), Federal Co-Chair, Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on AIDS

Regrets: Louise Binder (Co-Chair), Marie Anésie Harérimana.

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) : Grafton Spooner, Manager, External and Government Relations, HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division.

Secretariat: Lilja Jónsdóttir and Leanne Hodaly, External and Government Relations, HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division, PHAC.

Recording and Facilitation Services : Wylie Thomas and Hajo Versteeg.

Presenters: Chris Archibald, Director, Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, PHAC; Fernand Comeau, External and Government Relations, HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division, PHAC; Gail Steckley, International Affairs Division, Health Canada; Susan Tolton, Populations Section, HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division, PHAC.

Work Planning

The committees of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS (Championing Committee, International Affairs Committee, Research Committee and Communications and Liaison Committee) held their annual work planning sessions from 9:00 to 12:30 in the morning on May 6, 2005.

Welcome and Approval of Agenda

The Co-Chair of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS opened the meeting with a few words of welcome. The representative from the HIV/AIDS Policy, Coordination and Programs Division (HIV/AIDS Division) of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) advised the Ministerial Council of a change in staffing at the Secretariat and announced that one member of the Ministerial Council was resigning from his position on Council in order to take a job with a pharmaceutical company. A brief discussion followed regarding the conflict of interest rules and processes that govern membership on the Ministerial Council. The Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS accepted his resignation and directed the Secretariat to include the conflict of interest rules in future meeting binders.

The Ministerial Council adopted the meeting agenda with minor modifications. It was noted that the next call for nominations to the Ministerial Council would occur in the Spring of 2006.

Approval of the January 2005 Record of Decision

The Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS approved the Record of Decision from its meeting in Toronto on January 21 and 22, 2005, subject to a number of changes.

Business Arising from the January 2005 Meeting

The Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS reviewed the status of action items and incoming and outgoing correspondence since its meeting in Toronto on January 21 and 22, 2005.

Update from the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on AIDS

The provincial Co-Chair of the Federal / Provincial / Territorial Committee on HIV/AIDS (FPT AIDS) provided the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS with an update on the committee's activities. He noted that the committee is looking at developing an FPT consensus statement on Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS--2005-2010. He described work underway in relation to how HIV/AIDS is addressed in school curricula across the country and introducing harm reduction measures within the prison system. It was noted that PHAC was preparing advice on prison needle exchange programs in response to a request from Correctional Service Canada.

Presentation--Epidemiology and Surveillance

Chris Archibald, Director of the Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, PHAC, presented to the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS an overview of recent trends in HIV/AIDS epidemiology and surveillance in Canada. He identified areas for federal, provincial and territorial collaboration to improve the quality of HIV/AIDS surveillance data. He noted that the most recent Surveillance Report on HIV and AIDS in Canada would be released on May 12, 2005. He provided an analysis of the data and identified limitations in how the data are currently collected. He noted that a national HIV/AIDS surveillance meeting would be held in Ottawa on June 2 and 3, and that the Ministerial Council would be represented at the meeting.

Update on Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS

Fernand Comeau of the External and Government Relations Section of the HIV/AIDS Division of PHAC joined the meeting by teleconference. He updated the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS regarding a recent meeting of stakeholders to discuss the roll-out of Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS: 2005-2010. A representative from the Ministerial Council had attended the meeting, which was held in Ottawa on April 14 and 15, 2005. Except for some minor editing, Mr. Comeau noted that Leading Together was at a final draft stage and would be translated and printed over the summer. Participants at the April meeting decided on the following next steps:

• to form an interim stewardship committee tasked with establishing a process for selecting members to a permanent stewardship committee of stakeholders. The permanent committee would shepherd the roll-out of Leading Together.

• to identify five success stories to profile at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto.

• to develop a common set of key messages on Leading Together which participants could take to their constituents.

• to translate Leading Together into French as soon as possible.

Mr. Comeau asked the Ministerial Council to consider the role it could play in promoting and maintaining momentum for Leading Together, in addition to its likely involvement in the permanent committee.

In the discussion that followed Mr. Comeau's departure from the meeting, the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS agreed to the following actions:

• to draft a thank-you note to Mr. Comeau for his presentation, highlighting that Leading Together should be translated into French and distributed to francophone Canada for consultation before it is published.

• to write a letter to the Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, Minister of Health, confirming the Ministerial Council's support for Leading Together and asking for his support in promoting its roll-out.

Report from Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada

Frank Plummer, Director General, Centre for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, PHAC, presented the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS with the Health Canada / PHAC report. He apologized for the lack of financial data in his report, which was due, in part, to the organizational upheaval created by the establishment of PHAC. The following summarizes the main issues raised and decisions made.

• Interdepartmental ADM Committee-- This committee is being set up in response to the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada (FI) as a coordinating mechanism for federal activities on the HIV/AIDS front. Fifteen federal departments and agencies are represented on the committee, which will hold its first meeting on June 2, 2005, in Ottawa. The hope is it will develop an interdepartmental planning framework and a Government of Canada policy statement on HIV/AIDS
• HIV/AIDS Division Alignment Process --As part of an internal restructuring to better align with the needs of the new FI, the HIV/AIDS Division will be undertaking a review of the existing advisory and coordination mechanism on HIV/AIDS (Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS, National Aboriginal Council on HIV/AIDS and the FPT AIDS). The new structure of the HIV/AIDS Division was presented and discussed.
• Pan-Canadian Research Plan --It was noted that the Knowledge and Awareness Section of PHAC would be leading the development of a pan-Canadian research plan. Members of the Ministerial Council reported that there was discontent among researchers in the country over a lack of input into developing a national research agenda, and urged PHAC to ensure that all relevant players are consulted in the development of a national plan.
• XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto (AIDS2006) --PHAC, along with other federal departments, is providing both financial and organizational support to the XVI International AIDS Conference being held in Toronto in August 2006.
• Gender-Based Analysis (GBA) --Members of the Ministerial Council expressed frustration with the lack of progress in undertaking a gender-based analysis of the FI , and discussed ways of expediting the process.
• Correctional Service Canada (CSC) --The Ministerial Council commented that CSC had not provided it with a report.
• National Grants and Contributions Review --Members of Council asked for clarification on the implications of the national grants and contributions review. It was noted that the objective of the review was to find efficiencies and ways to cut the administrative burden on both applicants and the government.

Committee Reports of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee reported that it was working on recommendations for restructuring the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS. It noted that the timing was good given the restructuring currently underway at the HIV/AIDS Division of PHAC.

The committee reported that a recent letter appearing in the Canadian Association for HIV Research--Ontario (CAHRO) newsletter highlighted the need for improving communication with external audiences. There is a misperception that the Ministerial Council directs how research funds are spent in Canada. The Ministerial Council discussed ways of communicating what it does, how it makes decisions and how its members are appointed.

The Ministerial Council discussed the PHAC advisory committee review and identified two representatives to participate in the process. It asked the Secretariat to schedule a teleconference for a debriefing once the representatives had developed a better understanding of the process.

The Ministerial Council agreed to write a letter to the Minister of Health congratulating him on the ongoing work to establish an inter-departmental committee of assistant deputy ministers, expressing support for the goals of the committee review process and highlighting its relevance to the FI call for increased cooperation between government departments and sectors on HIV/AIDS.

Championing Committee

The Championing Committee provided its report and work plan to the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS, It outlined five priority issues for the coming year: 1) integration of HIV/AIDS (with other disease groups); 2) needle exchange in prisons; 3) access to treatment; 4) Common Drug Review; and, 5) internet pharmacies.

The committee reported that an important achievement in the last year had been to effect a permanent change to a question on the visa application form for temporary visitors to Canada which had required people living with HIV to declare their serostatus.

The Ministerial Council directed the Championing Committee to prepare a letter from the Co-Chairs inviting Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to present at its October meeting. The letter should outline the topics the Ministerial Council would like to address, including 1) prison needle exchange; 2) access to medication and health care in the prison system; and, 3) CSC's financial report to the Ministerial Council. The Ministerial Council spent time discussing preparations for its meeting with CSC.

The Championing Committee indicated that it would maintain a watch on a number of files, including: National Pharmacare Program; hepatitis C co-infection; Blueprint for Action Women's Coalition; injection drug users; medical marijuana; and youth and AIDS.

International Affairs Committee

The International Affairs Committee provided its report and work plan to the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS. It identified five areas to focus on:

Consultative Group on Global HIV/AIDS Issues-- The committee plans to have someone from the Ministerial Council attend the next meeting of the Consultative Group as an observer.

Follow-Up to Foreign Affairs Canada's HIV/AIDS Strategy -- The committee will be providing detailed comments on the latest draft of Foreign Affairs Canada's HIV/AIDS strategy, and will consult the Ministerial Council for further guidance before finalizing its response.

Follow-Up to Canadian International Development Agency's HIV/AIDS Strategy --The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is expected to release its draft HIV/AIDS strategy soon. The committee will be participating in stakeholder consultations that are planned on the strategy.

UNAIDS Global HIV Prevention Strategy --The committee is working on identifying opportunities for the Ministerial Council to support strengthening Canada's ability to defend elements of the global response to HIV/AIDS.

World Health Organization's 3 by 5 Initiative --It was noted that Canada would be taking the lead on an evaluation of the World Health Organization's 3 by 5 Initiative. The International Affairs Committee will be drafting a letter to CIDA (the agency leading the evaluation), in which it will outline concerns related to HIV testing and human rights and equitable access to treatment. The committee indicated it would circulate a draft to the Ministerial Council before finalizing the letter.

Research Committee

The Research Committee provided its report and work plan to the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS. It reviewed the results of the Fall 2004 competitions to fund HIV/AIDS research at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The committee noted that there were concerns about unallocated funds within the health services and population health stream due to a lack of proposals. The committee advised that it had participated in meetings of the CIHR HIV/AIDS Research Advisory Committee (CHARAC) to address this issue, and informed the Ministerial Council that CIHR had just recently announced a number of measures to address the gap.

The committee reported that members of the Ministerial Council had participated in the March meeting of CAHRO to answer questions about the Ministerial Council's role, mandate and membership. It appears that a number of researchers do not realize that the Ministerial Council deals with the FI and not all Canadian HIV research. A very clear message received at the meeting was that researchers feel disengaged from consultations related to setting the HIV/AIDS research agenda.

The Ministerial Council discussed plans to develop a pan-Canadian HIV/AIDS research plan, noting that two are currently underway; one led by PHAC; the other by the Canadian Association of HIV Research (CAHR). The Ministerial Council discussed ways to ensure communication between the groups and of ensuring no one is left behind. The Ministerial Council advised PHAC to ensure that the HIV/AIDS research scan it is undertaking does not limit itself to the biomedical and basic sciences.

The committee reported that it was following a number of issues including Canada's involvement in the International Partnership for Microbicides, medical marijuana and prison needle exchange. It was noted that the Minister of Health had recently made a statement in support of needle exchange in prisons.

Communications and Liaison Committee

The Communication and Liaison Committee presented its report and work plan to the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS. It reviewed the revised communications strategy for the Ministerial Council, who provided feedback. Among other things, the committee agreed to look into revising the Ministerial Council's brochure and CD-ROM materials.

The Ministerial Council discussed guidelines for members representing the Ministerial Council at external meetings and updating a standard PowerPoint presentation which its members can use. The committee reported that it was working on developing a new format and guidelines for writing the Public Records of Meeting (PROMs), which it planned to complete over the summer. The committee recapped the reasons for developing a new format for the PROMs, which included concerns about balancing timeliness and transparency with ensuring that persons connected to Ministerial Council decisions are given enough time to respond.

The committee reported that it had looked at the Ministerial Council's role in advising the Minister about World AIDS Day, and had decided that Council should not focus on the details of what the Minister should or should not do on World AIDS Day. It was noted that the first draft of the annual report for 2004/2005 would be ready by the end of May. The committee is aiming to have the report finalized and posted on its website by mid-June.

Meeting Dates of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS

The Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS scheduled its meetings for 2005/2006:

• October 20 & 21, 2005 ( Ottawa)
• December 9 & 10, 2005 ( Ottawa)
• February 23 & 24, 2006 ( Toronto)
• June 2 & 3, 2006 ( Montreal)

Next Face-to Face Meeting of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS

The Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS identified topics for the agenda of its next meeting scheduled for October 20 and 21, 2005. Since not all items can be covered in one meeting, it was agreed that the Secretariat would sort out the details with the Executive Committee.

Update on Government of Canada Preparations for the International AIDS Conference

Gail Steckley, International Affairs Division, Health Canada and Susan Tolton, Populations Section, HIV/AIDS Division, PHAC, presented an overview of federal government preparations for the XVI International AIDS Conference. The federal government has established the AIDS2006 Federal Secretariat to coordinate the federal government's participation in the conference and to provide a single point of contact on questions regarding the conference. The secretariat is housed in Health Canada, but involves the participation of more than 10 federal departments. The presenters accepted the invitation to provide regular updates to the Ministerial Council on federal preparations. Members of the Ministerial Council identified areas for Canadian government involvement, including: women's rights; policy dialogues on harm reduction in prisons; the 3 by 5 Initiative; Canada's role in promoting human rights internationally; long-term international research strategy.

Close of Meeting

The Co-Chairs closed the meeting with a few words of thanks to members for their commitment to the work of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS. They thanked Lilja Jónsdóttir for her hard work over the years supporting the work of the Ministerial Council.