AIDS coalition must reach out to Native people, says Bird

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A social service coalition, which is only weeks away from obtaining joint-government funding to fight AIDS in Edmonton's inner city, should be expanded to include Native groups, says an Alberta Indian Health Care Commission member.

Anne Bird credits the seven-member coalition for trying to combat the deadly virus in the inner city, but fears it's ignoring a sizable population.

If cultural and language differences aren't addressed, Bird said, Native people won't benefit from the help to be offered by the coalition.

The coalition consists of Edmonton social service agencies, which have combined efforts to establish a $500,000 program aimed at IV drug users, who have a high risk of contracting AIDS.

The project will include setting up needle exchanges and needle cleaning outlets.

Bird said "there are a lot of health facilities all over that are available, but they're not easily accessible to Native people."

"Natives aren't going to go out and seek the help. You're going to have to have outreach workers," she said.

The coalition has been assured of having at least 60 per cent of its funding request met by health and welfare Canada but it's still waiting to hear from Alberta health as to whether the province will also come up with some money for the project.

Bird says the AIDS coalition will be missing the boat if it doesn't send workers into skid row to educate Natives about the contagious disease.

Coalition members include the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission, the AIDS Network of Edmonton, the Boyle Street Co-op, the Boyle McCauley Health Center, the Edmonton Board of Health, the Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic and the WIN House Association.

David Fitzgerald, Edmonton AIDS Network spokesman, said the coalition's primary concern now is obtaining the funding. He suggested the coalition may include Native groups once the plan gets going.

The coalition wants to hire two workers to train IV drug users how to clean their used syringes and "to inform and educate about the risk of HIV," he said.

Fitzgerald said they will eventually try to help inner city drug users find treatment.

"We're looking at everybody in general -- Natives and non-Natives," he said.