Roaming van taking condoms and needles to the streets

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A Canadian Native Friendship Centre van will soon be hitting the streets of Edmonton with free needles and condoms for those in need.

The federal government gave the National Association of Friendship Centres $197,000 for the development of a national HIV/AIDS prevention program.

The Edmonton friendship centre, as the starting point for the initiative, received a good chunk of the funds to put the condoms and needles' exchange van on the road.

"As an aboriginal organization we're very excited. We hope we can make a difference," says Gerald Cuthbert, executive director of the friendship centre in Edmonton.

Natives have a rate of sexuality transmitted diseases five times the national average.

Cuthbert said he doesn't know how effective the program will be in reducing the number of AIDS cases but "the van is a positive step and it could lead to a reduction. I don't know what the guarantees are but at least we're doing something about it."

The World Health Organization has found 960 Natives in Canada have AIDS.

As a pilot project, the friendship centre has 18 months to prove its effectiveness at which time Ottawa will decide whether to renew the $163,000 funding.

Cuthbert says the roaming van will make the current needle and condom exchange program accessible to more people.

"The van will be on the road in the evening travelling to the inner city, south, west and northeast Edmonton."

Cuthbert says the van is the Aboriginal community's contribution to the prevention of AIDS.

A recent survey of needle exchange programs in Vancouver showed 40 per cent of those using the service were Native.