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Meeting of September 23-24 2000, Montréal - Public Record of Meeting
Executive Committee
Standing Committee on Championing of Current and Emerging Issues
Ad hoc Committee on Communications
Standing Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation
Special Working Group on Aboriginal Issues (SWGAI)
Business Arising
Additional Items
Health Canada Report
Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Advisory Committee on AIDS Report
Workplans
No report tabled.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON CHAMPIONING OF CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES
The Committee presented its report to Council.
Bill C244: This Bill is an Act to provide for the taking of samples of blood for the benefit of
persons administering and enforcing the law and good Samaritans and to amend the Criminal Code. It was reported that Health Canada and Justice Canada do not support this Bill. Letter to Minister from Council is in development.
Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation (CWGHR): The Committee has reviewed the CWGHR report and will invite a representative of the organization to participate on its next conference call, the purpose of which will be for the Committee to obtain information with which to formulate recommendations to Council, especially relating to issues within federal jurisdiction.
Background Papers: The Committee has commissioned two background papers to support the development of advice to the Minister. The first paper will examine levels of investment in the CSHA. The second paper will look at opportunities for collaboration among different federal departments on HIV/AIDS issues. Draft versions of these papers will be available for Council's consideration at the December meeting.
Point-of-Care Rapid Testing: The Committee will do an in-depth analysis of the HIV/AIDS Legal Network's recommendations and report back to Council at the December meeting.
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS
The Committee presented its report to Council.
World AIDS Day (WAD): The theme of WAD this year is AIDS: Men Make a Difference. The Council provided feedback on Health Canada's draft WAD communications plan. The Council reinforced that December 1 would be an ideal opportunity for the Minister to send a positive message regarding immigration and to reinforce support for people living with HIV/AIDS.
STANDING COMMITTEE ON MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The Committee presented its report to Council.
Formative Evaluation of Council: It was reported that the consultant would shortly begin the data collection phase of the evaluation of Council. The results of the evaluation will be presented to Council at its December meeting.
SPECIAL WORKING GROUP ON ABORIGINAL ISSUES (SWGAI)
The Committee presented its report to Council.
Situational Analysis: HIV/AIDS and Aboriginal People: It was reported that this report was being updated and translated.
Next Meeting: The next meeting is December 10-11, 2000.
Immigration: The Council expressed its concern about media reports that Health Canada had advised Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to screen all prospective immigrants for HIV and exclude those found to be HIV-positive.
Council's main concerns about this advice are summarized as follows:
- It implies that HIV is spread through casual contact when it is a preventable disease;
- It undermines the supportive environment for people living with HIV in Canada that has been created over a number of years;
- It stigmatizes immigrants as vectors of diseases and undermines the notion of shared responsibility that has informed HIV prevention work in Canada;
- It calls into question Canada's commitment to HIV/AIDS work on an international level;
- It takes a very narrow view of public health that fails to adequately weigh the risks to the Canadian population of such advice versus the harms it may cause; in addition does not take human rights considerations into account.
The Council will request a meeting with the Minister of Health as soon as possible in order to discuss its concerns on this issue.
Community-Based Research (CBR): Council members have expressed concern that the CBR program is not functioning effectively for community organizations.
Council's main concerns are as follows:
- Barriers to obtaining ethical review of CBR projects;
- Difference of opinion about what constitutes research;
- Standards of scientific rigour are too narrow;
- Too few proposals are passing peer review;
- Lack of clarity about the issue of indemnity insurance;
- Problem of access to the CBR program and Capacity-Building Program for Aboriginal communities.
The Council decided to strike an Ad hoc Committee on CBR to develop an action plan to move toward solutions.
The Council will write a letter to the Minister outlining its concerns regarding the CBR program and informing him that it has created an ad hoc committee on the issue.
CBR Policy Meeting: It was reported that a policy meeting on CBR would be held on September 29, 2000. The purpose of this meeting will be to review successes and challenges of CBR and review program elements to ensure continued success of the program. The meeting will also address specific concerns raised by the Advisory Reference Group on CBR and the CBR Peer Review Panel.
CBR Capacity-Building Program Update: It was reported that two initiatives of the program have been implemented: the CBR Scholarships and the Skills-Building Initiatives.
Financial Status Report: The report for the first quarter of 2000/01 indicates an overall surplus of $66,000. There is an estimated surplus of $400,000 in the CBR program and an estimated surplus of $300,000 in the Aboriginal Research program. This fund will be allocated according to the cascading formula previously agreed upon by Council.
Injection Drug Use: There is not yet a final response from the Minister to the HIV/AIDS Legal Network Report on Injection Drug Use.
FEDERAL/PROVINCIALl/TERRITORIAL (FPT) ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON AIDS REPORT
Point-of-Care Testing using Rapid HIV test kits: It was reported that anticipated provincial/terrritorial concerns have been much less than anticipated.
Co-Chair: Dr. Paul Gully informed Council members that he is the new Co-Chair of FPT along with Bryce Larke.
Next meeting: Members were also told that the next F/P/T meeting will be held in Ottawa November 8-10. November 8 is a joint meeting of F/P/T AIDS and the F/P/T Heads of Corrections Working Group on HIV/AIDS to develop collaborative strategies for public health and correctional officials to address HIV/AIDS.
No new items