Posted: Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Campaign activities will target Canadian Members of Parliament, Prime Minister

OTTAWA, Ontario – The Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD) and its 100 member organizations nationwide are joining forces with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and its global affiliate unions to call on the G8 and G20 leaders for the provision of Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support as an integral component of the G8 child and maternal health initiative.

ICAD supports the labour movement’s planned “Days of Action”, commencing March 21 and continuing through until the end of April, 2010. The campaign will combine an electronic petition, letter writing, meetings with MPs and rallies highlighting the G8’s failure to fulfill its promise to achieve Universal Access. The “Days of Actions” are timed to precede the G8 and G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Ottawa, March 29-30, 2010 and the G8 and G20 Development Ministers meeting in Halifax, April 26-28, 2010.

ICAD’s mission is to lessen the spread and impact of HIV and AIDS in resource-poor communities and countries by providing leadership and actively contributing to the Canadian and international response.

“AIDS is the leading cause of death amongst women of child bearing age globally. Although we have made great strides towards universal access to treatment and prevention, we cannot afford to risk reversing the progress we have made”, says ICAD Executive Director, Nicci Stein. “A strong commitment from the G8 and G20 to achieve Universal Access must include a clear timetable for implementation as well as adequate financial support for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.”

The Global Fund was created by G8 countries in 2005 to tackle the global AIDS crisis. Despite initial financial support for the fund there is serious concern that sustaining current levels of support will not be enough to meet the growing global demand for essential HIV services and programs.

G8 leaders need to deliver on their past commitments and not just focus on a new target. “The campaign by the Canadian Labour Congress and ITUC-Africa will demand accountability. Leaders will be hearing from those who are most affected by this disease”, says Evan Collins, ICAD’s Vice-President and North American delegate to the Programme Coordinating Board of UNAIDS, the United Nations body that addresses the global epidemic.

“The G8’s focus on the health of women and children is welcome. Many HIV positive women in resource-poor countries lack access to the means to prevent transmission of the virus to their children, something that has virtually been eliminated in the developed world. However, the success of the maternal and child health initiative will be compromised if the full spectrum of treatment and prevention needs of HIV positive women and those at risk of infection are not met,” Collins added.

ICAD’s support for the labour movement campaign comes from a history of collaboration with CLC and is rooted in the organization’s values of equity and human rights in the field of HIV and international development. Campaign materials can be accessed on the ICAD website www.icad-cisd.com