MANAGER'S REPORT, Pebruary 26, 1987 ......,

Clause No. 1 continued

AIDS ACTIVITIES REQUIRED: IN 1987 —

The rapidly growing AIDS caseload and the inéreasing numbers ef HIV

infected persons will place heavy demands on the Lower Mainland public

health agencies for survefliance, prevention and community support

services. The workload generated by an active program will quickly
exceed the Departmant's ability to handle it.

Blocking AIDS virus transmission can eliminate the disease in the
1990's. At present thts can ‘only be done by education. Many
populations must be addressed, some presently at risk and others with
the potential to be at high risk in the future. Among those that should
be targeted are: children and schooleage youth, care-giving
professionals, intravenous drug abusers, homosexuals, prostitutes, and
all persons who have frequent transient sexual relationships. Peonle at
some risk require sufficient information to make intelligent decisions
and minimize the risk of infection. The Vancouver Health Department
must be @ major player in a province-wide educational program. The
level of our response will depend on the level of Support the City of
Vancouver is able to provide.

1. Publie Education Campaiaqnr

Tn the United States the Surgeon General has proposed massive publie
education programs on AIDS. In 8ritain the public health information
budget has tripled te 30 million pounds. In Canada the Canadian Public
Health Association has been given, $700,000 a year over five years to
produce public advertising.

An AIDS public education campaign must be afmad at changing pecple's

sexual behaviour towards safer sex. The campaign must be explicit. [t

must also be stressed that there {s no 'Safe Sex’ only ‘Safer Sex'. The

Ribs mast be placed on protecting people and their sexual partners from
Se

Health promotion Jiterature points out that changing behaviour is
difficult. As health educators, we must attempt to promote changing
behaviour. A massive program in Montreal, aimed at the high risk groups,
resulted in condom usage by Sixty per cent of those surveyed. while the
low percentage cf usage js discouraging, {t illustrates that one-shot
campaigns are not enough. A comprehensive health promotion approach is
needed.

Canada is currently behind the United States in the number of AIDS
cases. We have a very low level of infection in the female and
heterosexual populations. Even though changing behaviour {fs difficult,
should health officials wait before introducing a massive education
campaign? One needs only to look at San Francisco to answer the
question. There, 1 in 200 women Submitting premarital blood samples are
now positive. San Francisco is now placing condom ads on tekevision.

Rather than spending money on AIDS hospital and medical care in the 1990s
we must use the only weapon we currently have-=public education. We must
urge the Federal and Provincial Governments to undertake a massive and
onegoing AIDS public education program. We cannot wait to see if what
happened in the United States will happen here.

The Yancouver Health Department {s not proposing a separate campaign such
aS a brochure in every household in the City. Until we know what the
Federal and Provincial governments will produce, we would be throwing
money away on a smal] campaign of our own.

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