HARPER IS CREATING AN AIDS CRISIS IN CANADA from AIDS ACTION NOW! on Vimeo.

In 2008, the Harper government defaulted on promised funding for community-based AIDS service organizations by failing to deliver $11.3 million that had been committed by an all-party committee of Parliament for programs that support people living with HIV/AIDS and prevent the spread of HIV through community education.

Meanwhile, HIV/AIDS has reached epidemic levels in some communities:

* In Vancouverʼs downtown eastside, the prevalence of Hepatitis C is 70%. HIV prevalence is 30%
* In Toronto, 23% of gay and bisexual men are HIV-positive.
* Aboriginal people make up 3.8% of the overall population, but 12.5% of new HIV infections.
* In Canadian prisons, Hepatitis C rates are 45 times greater than the general population, and HIV rates are 22 times greater.

Despite these alarming facts, the Harper government continues to oppose harm reduction programs that are proven to reduce HIV and Hepatitis C infections.

Instead, funding has been increased for military and security costs like the war in Afghanistan and the G8/G20 summits, which cost Canadian taxpayers 632 times the annual national AIDS plan.

HARPER = DEATH

ACTION = LIFE