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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