Canada's Report on HIV/AIDS 1998: Shared Vision, Shared Hope

A foreword from the Minister

One year ago, on World AIDS Day 1997, I reaffirmed the Government of Canada's commitment to a renewed and sustained response to HIV/AIDS and promised to report annually to Canadians on the progress made to stop the spread of HIV and to care, treat and support those living with the disease. The renewed Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS, launched in May 1998, is the result of a consultation process led by national HIV/AIDS organizations representing AIDS community groups and individuals from coast to coast. The Strategy is the product of the collective voices of governments, organizations, communities and individuals infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Only by sustaining and expanding the collective voices will we succeed in reaching our common goals.

The Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS is less than a year old. Yet in this short period of time much progress has been made. The new Strategy is no longer time limited; it will allow Strategy partners to plan and develop a long-term, sustainable response to HIV/AIDS. Together, we will take the time to lay a solid foundation for future collaborations that will work. It will be this new collaborative effort and these new cooperative partnerships that will enable us to effectively respond to the evolving nature of this epidemic.

This document - Canada's Report on HIV/AIDS 1998: Shared Vision, Shared Hope - is the first report on the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS. It highlights the new approach that will ensure the sustainability and responsiveness of Canada's efforts well into the next century.

This report is not an exhaustive listing of activities being conducted under the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS. Instead, the examples provided demonstrate this shared vision and hope - for the future.

The Honourable Allan Rock
Minister of Health
November 1998

Next