Posted On: Monday, November 27th, 2017
PAN’s first regional training took place this past week in Kelowna. PAN worked in partnership with Interior Health on this project, and send our thanks to Kate Fish and Maja Karlsson at IH for working with us on this event. We couldn’t ask for better partners. We met on the traditional territory of the Syilx (Okanagan)… Read more »
Posted On: Monday, November 27th, 2017
World AIDS Day is traditionally marked by events to gather people together. Together we think about the people who have been lost, and pledge that no more be lost to ignorance of HIV, stigma, lack of medical care, or support. We pledge that no more be lost to despair. We pledge to educate, advocate and… Read more »
Posted On: Friday, November 24th, 2017
Our KnowledgeConnect webinar series helps build skills and community connections. Our next webinar is Using Shared Measurement in Evaluation, coming up on Wednesday November 29, 10 – 11 AM Pacific time. Elayne McIvor is an experienced evaluator who works with non-profits, government, and private sector connections. Elayne’s webinar will focus on the value of shared measurement. Establishing… Read more »
Posted On: Monday, November 20th, 2017
Today is the day we remember transgender folks who have gone ahead, gone public, gone true to their souls to live lives of dignity. Too many times, they have lost their lives to bigotry and violence. There is energy to change the world, and change it must. We can’t go on like this. I hope… Read more »
Posted On: Tuesday, November 14th, 2017
Responding to BC’s Opioid Overdose Epidemic Progress Report The newly established BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions has released an update on the opioid crisis with the October edition of Responding to BC’s Opioid Overdose Epidemic Progress Report. The stats remain grim. While deaths from illegal drugs excluding fentanyl have decreased in 2017, fentanyl… Read more »
Posted On: Tuesday, November 7th, 2017
I attended the most recent BC Centre for Excellence in HIVAIDS (BCCfE) Antiretroviral update yesterday and left with good information. Presentations covered cancer and HIV; cardiovascular disease risk and management; harm reduction and opioids; PEP guidelines and best practices. Dr. Julio Montaner gave a BCCfE update, including here we stand on publicly funded PrEP, an… Read more »
Posted On: Tuesday, November 7th, 2017
I attended the most recent BC Centre for Excellence in HIVAIDS (BCCfE) Antiretroviral update yesterday, and as usual, had lots to think about once the day concluded. Presentations covered cancer and HIV; cardiovascular disease risk and management; harm reduction and opioids; PEP guidelines and best practices. This post summarizes the morning’s information and community takeaways… Read more »
Posted On: Tuesday, October 31st, 2017
Thank you to all the PAN and community members (established and new) that joined us for the Fall Conference, AGM, and PLHIV Forum last week in Richmond. We will be gathering resources from presenters and sharing them on the conference page so all who attended and those who weren’t able to can view them. In… Read more »
Posted On: Friday, October 20th, 2017
Updated November 1, 2017: Read the response letter from the Government In early October, PAN submitted a letter to the Premier John Horgan, Minister of Health Adrian Dix, and MLA Spencer Chandra-Herbert. PAN wrote in support of the request for PrEP to be immediately funded by the government of BC, a move initially advocated for… Read more »
Posted On: Tuesday, October 17th, 2017
On October 11, the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) released the province’s first-ever guidelines for prescribing injectable treatments for opioid addiction. Opioid use disorder is “one of the most challenging forms of substance use disorder facing the health care system in British Columbia” says the Executive Summary from the BCCSU. It also identifies fentanyl… Read more »
Posted On: Monday, October 16th, 2017
2017 Is the Year That HIV Stigma Is Finally Loosening reads the headline of a VICE piece. That caught my eye, given that stigma is still so often the point that people make when speaking about HIV, from those in communities contributing to the BC People Living with HIV Stigma Index Project to none… Read more »
Posted On: Sunday, October 8th, 2017
It’s interesting that Mental Health Day (October 10) and National Coming Out Day (October 11) nudge up against each other given they can be related. Coming out (or not) can deeply influence one’s mental health, and even after you’re out, stigma can be a problem in some layer of life. Family and friends may be… Read more »
