Health

World AIDS Day 2016 in Vancouver: Reel Causes, Positive Living BC, and Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week

by Craig Takeuchi on November 28th, 2016 at 1:53 PM
    1 of 3 2 of 3

      When the HIV/AIDS epidemic first hit, it impacted numerous communities in devastating ways.

      Things have changed since that time, with numerous medical advances as well as greater social understanding.

      However, it still remains a pressing issue, with some younger generations growing up not as aware of the issues involved.

      World AIDS Day is on Thursday (December 1), once again drawing attention to the state of HIV and AIDS.

      Here in Vancouver, there'll be a few events that will be held in conjunction with the awareness day.

      Last Men Standing

      Local organization Reel Causes will present the film Last Men Standing, as part of an evening entitled Remembering the Survivors in support of Positive Living Society of B.C. It'll be held at 7 p.m. on December 1 at SFU Woodward's (149 West Hastings Street). 

      The documentary explores the lives of eight men with HIV who survived and even thrived.

      Participants from the film, as well as HIV/AIDS survivors in Vancouver, will participate in a discussion about life and love after the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

      Tickets are $15 (or $5 with a Reel Causes membership).

      For more information and tickets, visit the Reel Causes website. 

      Positive Living BC will also be launching a new app, which supports people living with HIV. The app features customizable self-care tools to help them manage their health over the long-term.

      Meanwhile, Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week 2016 will kick off in Ottawa on December 1.

      The Vancouver-based Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network will host events across the country, including workshops to be held in Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Winnipeg, Haines Junction, Toronto, and Montreal.

      Guests will include B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS director Dr. Julio Montaner, Lu'ma Medical Centre physician and researcher Dr. Alexandra King, Saskatchewan Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority medical health officer Nnamdi Ndubuka, and more.

      The Vancouver event will be held on December 6 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Native Health Society (455 East Hastings Street).

      More information is available at the CAAN website.

      Comments