NDP statement on World AIDS Day 2023 « Canada’s NDP
NDP 2SLGBTQI+ critic Randall Garrison and deputy critic Blake Desjarlais made the following statement:
“World AIDS Day is an important day to remember those who’ve lost their lives to AIDS and those who suffer from HIV/AIDS. My condolences go out to anyone who’s lost someone they love to AIDS.
Today is also an important day to re-commit to fighting for more progress to eliminate the spread of HIV and AIDS.
This year’s World AIDs Day is a ground-breaking one, as AIDS-related deaths are at the lowest they’ve been since the 1980s.
But despite this historic number, AIDS still takes a life every single minute.
The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is: Let Communities Lead, which is about connecting people with the treatment, support and testing they need. In Canada, this is an important message that I hope the Liberal government hears, as one of the biggest barriers to beating HIV/AIDs is that First Nations, Métis, and Indigenous communities continue to lack access to testing, education, and culturally appropriate health care.
Today, New Democrats are reflecting on how far we’ve come in beating HIV/AIDs, but also on how far Canada still needs to go. We’re committed to ending the spread of HIV/AIDs, stopping the stigma surrounding it, and supporting the advocates and health care professionals who are working tirelessly to end AIDS/HIV.”