People working in front-line HIV health services in Canada say the enormous attention that surrounded the international AIDS conference this week in Toronto may have left the public with the "false impression" that everything is fine in this country in the battle against the pandemic.
"It's a total myth that people have access or equal access to drugs in Canada," says Louise Binder, the chair of the Canadian Treatment Action Council, which lobbies on behalf of people with HIV.
Bigger, wealthier provinces such as Ontario, Quebec and Alberta tend to pay for and provide HIV drugs. But not the Maritimes, she says. "People literally have to move to stay alive."
As well, Ms. Binder says there are wide disparities caused by the fact there are about 19 different federal drug plans that cover HIV medications. Some drugs that aren't covered for aboriginals are covered for military personnel or pensioners, for example.
Is this fair?
To discuss this, and other issues related to HIV-AIDS, Ms. Binder will take your questions today at 5 p.m. EDT.
Join the Conversation at that time or submit a question or comment in advance.
Louise Binder is a Canadian HIV-positive lawyer who was diagnosed in 1993. She is the plenary speaker on women and girls at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
Due to her disease, she was forced to retire from work in 1994 . She did some limited volunteer work thereafter on the board of the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation, as board member and then co-chair until 1998, and as chair of the provincial women's AIDS organization, Voices of Positive Women, where she still serves as vice-chair.
Fortunately, after the advent of highly active antiviral therapy in 1996, Louise's health improved and she took on further volunteer activities. In 1997, she helped to found and, since its inception, has co-chaired and chaired the Canadian Treatment Action Council, which does systemic advocacy for access to treatments. She is also co-chair of the federal Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS; member of the Community Advisory Committee of the Canadian HIV Trials Network; member of the HIV/AIDS Ethics Committee of the University of Toronto; one of the founding members of the Blueprint for Action on Women and Girls and HIV/AIDS; Chair of the Canadian Advisory Committee for the HIV+ Children's Hospital Project led by the Canadian Society for International Health; and member of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS Leadership Council.
Ms. Binder has been involved in many of the important advocacy struggles of this community over the last 12 years including the battle to save, and then to increase, federal funding for HIV/AIDS; the battle to get timely access to safe and effective drugs at the federal and provincial government levels; and the battle to ensure earlier access by the pharmaceutical industry to drugs in development. Louise has also been a strong voice for HIV-positive women's issues and was one of the founders and member of the management team of the First National Women's Conference in Canada.
Ms. Binder has received recognition for her efforts from numerous sources including the City of Toronto (Constance E. Hamilton Award), the Province of Ontario (the Order of Ontario), her alma mater Queen's University Law School (an Honourary Doctorate of Laws), the Queen (the Queen's Jubilee medal), and most importantly , from the communities she serves, including the Ontario AIDS Network Award and the Canadian AIDS Society Leadership Award.
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