The Ministerial Council On HIV/AIDS

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Annual Report April 1, 2003 - March 31, 2004

5.0 Designation of issues

Issues are brought forward to the Ministerial Council table in a number of ways. First, and most commonly, the Minister of Health may request that the Council provide advice on a particular issue. The Minister has a unique opportunity to present requests during a yearly face-to-face meeting with Council members. Individuals or groups bring issues to the attention of the Ministerial Council by addressing a letter to the Council Secretariat. Please see Appendix 3 for the Council's contact information. Finally, Council members bring forward issues that have come to their attention through their ongoing involvement in the community and through their work and participation in conferences and committees. The Ministerial Council may invite guest presenters to provide the Council with information on an issue.

The Ministerial Council is working on or following a significant number of issues at any given time. Some issues require ongoing follow-up and have been on the agenda since the Council's inception, while new issues are raised at most meetings. A number of factors must be considered in determining where the Ministerial Council directs its energies. The Council first asks if the issue under consideration is:

• within the mandate of the Minister of Health
• within the mandate of the Ministerial Council on HIV/AIDS
• national in scope
• likely to affect a significant proportion of the population or a sub-population
• able to be addressed with the resources and time that the Ministerial Council has at its disposal.

For each issue that meets these criteria, the Council will also ask:

• Who else is working on policy development or advocacy on this issue?
• If no one else is currently working on this issue, could an appropriate stakeholder be asked to take on a role in addressing this issue?
• What, therefore, is the unique or most appropriate role for the Council in addressing this issue?

Using these criteria and questions, the Council decides that it will or will not address an issue, or move it to a "watching brief" status.

After determining that an issue warrants the Council's attention and determining the Council's unique niche in addressing an issue, the Council sets priorities in order to focus its limited time and resources for maximum impact. The Council assesses the priority of issues using the following criteria:

• Public interest: Is there a broad interest outside and inside the Council?
• Opportunity for impact: Is there an opportunity to impact on policy?
• Timeliness: Is it a time-sensitive or immediate issue for stakeholders?
• Long-term planning: Is it an issue that needs study now to prepare for future policy responses?
• Need for political involvement: Does the issue need political (ministerial) involvement?
• Urgency for the Minister of Health: Is it an urgent issue for the Minister?
• Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS strategic issue: Does the issue fall within the strategic areas of the Strategy?
• Resources: Does the Council have sufficient human, financial and other resources to address this issue effectively?

In its September 2003 Strategic Plan, the Council designated that its strategic priorities for 2003-2006 are to promote and enhance:

1. Intra- and inter-departmental collaboration in response to HIV/AIDS
2. Comprehensive prevention, care, treatment and support for all communities
3. Effective and responsive structures and strategies to fight the epidemic, including an adequately resourced Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS
4. All streams of HIV/AIDS-related research (including epidemiological, basic science, clinical science, psycho-social and community-based)
5. Canada's international response to HIV/AIDS.

The following strategic issues within these priorities were assigned to Council committees during 2003-2004:

Intra- and Inter-ministerial issues Correctional Service of Canada Immigration Bill C-217: compulsory testing Public health measures and criminal law Populations from HIV-endemic countries (African and Caribbean communities) Women's issues Gay men's issues Aboriginal issues Youth issues Sex workers: law; policy; and confidentiality Mother-to-child registry Injection drug use (including addictions): research and policy Medical marihuana: research and policy HIV testing in pregnancy Point-of-care testing HIV testing policy, including testing for immigration, rapid tests and testing in Aboriginal communities Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS (CSHA): Directions; Review; Strategic Plan Social Justice Framework

Determinants of health (including income security and insurance) CSHA funding adequacy CSHA Resource allocation Health care reform Drug review process Canadian Institutes of Health Research Community-based research Microbicides Vaccines Epidemiology and surveillance (including the leading edge of the epidemic) Co-infections: policy and research World AIDS Day United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS: follow-up Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Canadian International Development Agency: HIV/AIDS programs International trade Canada's foreign policy approach to HIV/AIDS Establishing links and cultivating partnerships

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