March 28, 2012
For immediate release
Fact Sheet: Increasing Awareness of HIV and AIDS in the North Bay Area
NORTH BAY, Ontario — On behalf of the Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq, Jay Aspin, Member of Parliament for Nipissing - Timiskaming, announced support for a community-based project to increase awareness and improve access to health care services for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in the North Bay area.
“Through HIV prevention and outreach campaigns, this project will ensure residents of North Bay and its surrounding area have access to the information and resources they need to make informed decisions about their health,”
said Mr. Aspin. “Our government commends the AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area for their continued dedication to addressing HIV/AIDS at the community-level and particularly among high-risk populations.”
The AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area (ACNBA) aims to assist and support all people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS and to limit the spread of the virus through education and outreach strategies. The “Extending the Reach: HIV Regional Outreach and Education” project will use prevention workshops, Web-based materials and outreach services to improve knowledge and access to HIV/AIDS resources especially among high-risk populations and those in remote locations.
“One of the unique focuses of this project will be addressing literacy needs,”
said Dennis Chippa, ACNBA’s HIV Education Coordinator. “We plan to conduct a literacy assessment of our educational materials and make them more user-friendly for those with lower literacy skills.”
This investment is part of the more than $72 million that the Government of Canada is currently investing, through the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada. A large portion of these funds assist community-based projects like this one to:
- prevent the acquisition and transmission of new infections;
- slow the progression of the disease and improve quality of life; and
- reduce the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS.
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