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Longtime AIDS
Activist Nominated by Liberals
Lorne Mayencourt, the founder of Friends for Life, has won the
Liberal nomination for the Vancouver-Burrard riding in the heart of Vancouver’s
Westend. Mayencourt has worked tirelessly to help improve the lives of HIV+ people over
the years. He has been a driving force behind successful fundraising events like Dining
Out for Life and Hairdo. He will face-off against incumbent MLA Tim Stevenson,
a member of the NDP and deputy speaker of the provincial legislature. The NDP has held
this riding in Vancouver for over 20 years.
PAN General Assembly refuses to oppose
regionalization
This past March, the General Assembly of the Pacific AIDS Network
(PAN) refused to endorse a resolution opposing the regionalization of AIDS in BC put
forward by the HIV+ Forum. The resolution called for further consultation on
regionalization to examine the implications of this plan. Those opposed to regionalization
argue it would drastically reduce services to PWAs, increase new HIV infections, and cost
way more.
The refusal to endorse the HIV Forum’s resolution came amid a storm of controversy
over whether PAN is silencing the voice of HIV+ people by ignoring such resolutions. The
HIV+ Forum decided to consider changes to the structure of PAN at its’ next meeting.
The proposed changes were crafted from those published in the last issue of Living + in an
article that was sharply critical of PAN.
BCPWA launches "Project Talk"
On April 1, 2000, the BC Persons With AIDS Society began
implementing an organizational-wide database system to improve member services and monitor
program usage. "Project Talk" has been in the works for months and BCPWA hopes
it will provide new insights into how programs can be developed to better meet the needs
of HIV+ people.
Toronto study to examine pill-popping
PWAs
A study designed to assess factors that influence treatment
adherence in PWAs taking antiretroviral drugs is now recruiting subjects in Toronto. The
HAART Adherence in HIV Infection Project will evaluate three different strategies for
helping patients improve their adherence to HIV medications. The study, to take place over
a 9-month period, will assess subjects' ability to follow their treatments as prescribed
by means of self-reporting questionnaires and neuropsychological evaluations. "From
Community AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE). For more information visit CATIE's
Information Network at http://www.catie.ca"
Federal MP issues "Urgent
Notice"
Svend Robinson, the Member of Parliament for Burnaby-Kingsway,
issued an urgent alert for people whose same-sex partners died after 1985. Those who were
living together, in a conjugal relationship, for at least one year after April 1985 before
their partner died, may be eligible under the new same-sex benefits bill for a
Canada Pension Plan Survivor's Pension. However, if they do not make a claim for the
pension by the time the bill (C-23) becomes law, they may be ineligible, unless their
partner died after January 1998.
If you think you may be eligible, and your partner died before January 1, 1998, you
should contact your local Federal Canada Pension Plan (CPP) office as soon as possible. If
you wait until after the bill has been passed, you will likely be ineligible.
Doctor resigns from Food for Thought
Dr. Stan de Vlamming resigned from the Board of Directors of Food
for Thought this past March. The resignation followed a public blow-out at the recent
"Keeping the Door Open Symposium". De Vlamming ruffled the feathers of
conference organizers by vociferously challenging the views of invited speakers. Food for
Thought provides hot lunches from 11am to 2pm, Monday to Friday, for HIV+ injection drug
users living in the Downtown Eastside.
HIV+ mother loses two children
A Montreal woman has lost custody of her HIV+ children for
refusing to allow them to be treated with anti-HIV drugs. She believes that HIV is not the
cause of AIDS and that the drugs used to treat AIDS are toxic. In a recent letter to the
National Post about nay-sayers who claim HIV does not cause AIDS, noted physician Mark
Wainberg remarked that "the rate of HIV-infected babies has dropped by 90 per cent
during the past decade, as virtually all HIV-infected pregnant women are now advised by
their obstetricians to take a combination of anti-HIV drugs during pregnancy. Perhaps Ms.
Brassard refused to take antiviral drugs during her pregnancy because she had read a
newspaper article that gave credence to the notion that HIV doesn't cause AIDS."
Candlelight Memorial breaks the Silence
Vancouver will join over 200 other locations in 43 countries
taking part in the 17th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. The theme for
year this year is "Break the Silence: Honour Every Death, Value Every Life."
Since 1984, Vancouver has organized an AIDS Candlelight Memorial in conjunction with
the International event.
Last year over 2000 individuals were remembered by friends, love ones and families. If
you know of someone who you would like remembered you can call James Johnstone at (604)
254-4666, or e-mail him: jcj@canada.com. The persons name will be added to a list read at
the event and posted near by.
More information on the International events can be found at www.globalhealth.org
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