NDP statement on World Aids Day

NDP Health critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway) made the following statement on World Aids Day:

“This year’s theme for World AIDS Day is “getting to zero”. The progressive opposition NDP calls on the government of Canada to commit itself to the eradication of the disease.

Every person living with HIV/AIDS has the right to timely access to affordable drugs, antiretroviral treatment and the care they need. That is how we will one day eradicate AIDS.

While it is true that inspiring and encouraging advances have been made in recent years, the tragic fact is that 1.2 million people worldwide died of AIDS in 2013. In Canada, the most recent statistics show that 71,300 are currently living with HIV/AIDS and every three hours someone gets infected with the virus.

This year, at the 8th International Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention in Vancouver, numerous specialists prepared and signed the Vancouver Consensus. In this document, they stated: Science has delivered solutions. The question for the world is: When will we put it into practice?

The government must respond to their call and take action now.”