[van-announce] CanceltheCuts.org

[Peter Bazovský]

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The Cuts!

The BC Government has advised the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority to
balance their $2.9 billion dollar budget and recoup their $90 million
deficit. The Vancouver Costal Health authority initiated financial reviews
of 200 Community Based Health Organization’s (CBHO’s) contracts, under
their funding jurisdiction, to find areas where they can recoup some of
the health authority’s huge deficit.

These financial reviews amount to three phases of funding cuts. The first
rolled out on World AIDS Day 2009 (December 1) and the next two phases of
cuts are set to hit Community Based Health Organizations in the fiscal
year 2010/2011.

These first set of cuts equate to around $0.75 to $1 million in savings to
the Health Authority, a miniscule dent to their $90 million deficit. But
these cuts have a devastating and long lasting impact to Community Based
Health Organizations.

Why are Community-Based Health Organizations important?

Community-Based Health Organizations (CBHO’s) provide integral and life
saving services for many people who are unable to access traditional
government health services. Many CBHO’s support a large proportion of BC’s
underserved and marginalized populations. Due to the social determinants
to health, many of these populations are unable to access traditional
government health services and therefore are unable to manage their health
without support from CBHO’s

Not only do these CBHO’s provide effective support to the HIV-positive
community, they provide education, harm reduction and volunteer
opportunities to the provincial community as a whole. Their efforts and
positive impact in the community have immense value that can’t be
quantitatively measured in dollars alone.

CBHO’s are an exemplary example of cost effective public health delivery.
Given their low waged, highly skilled work force and large volunteer
component, HIV/AIDS directed CBHO’s are, dollar for dollar, the single
most efficient element within the broad range of forces battling the
HIV/AIDS epidemic in BC.

HIV/AIDS directed CBHO’s in this province, have proven themselves time and
time again to deliver innovative and effective programs on a shoe string
budget, which not only reduce the HIV infection rates, but increase the
health of HIV-positive individuals. This allows for a reduction in
reliance on government health services, thus saving the government
millions of dollars per year.

CBHO’s don’t just dish out medication; they focus on a multi faceted
approach in combating HIV/AIDS. All HIV/AIDS directed CBHO’s provide
integral support services, advocacy, harm reduction, prevention and
education, benefiting not only HIV-positive individuals but the larger
community as well.

Each new HIV infection relates to a conservative estimate of $250, 000 in
medical costs, over the life span of HIV-positive individuals. BC would
only need 360 new infections to equal VCH’s $90 million deficit. It is
guaranteed that cutting CBHO’s funding and therefore crippling their
ability to deliver prevention, harm reduction and support programs, those
360 new infection rates will be a reality within a very short time frame.

HIV in British Columbia
Twenty five years ago BC was at the forefront of the response to the
HIV/AIDS epidemic, now we have an HIV infection rate disproportionately
higher than the national average.

In 2005 (the last year in which epi-data on HIV prevalence was published)
there were an estimated 10,420 people living with HIV in BC, representing
approximately 18% of Canada’s estimated total HIV-positive population
(58,000 individuals). Given that BC represents approximately 13% of the
overall population of Canada; BC has a disproportionate share of HIV
burden.

In 2007 (the last year for which we have data) 395 British Columbians were
newly diagnosed. The rate of new infections in BC is likewise
unparalleled, with 9.1 NI/100,000 people infected annually, versus 7.5
NI/100,000 for all of Canada. In some areas of Vancouver the HIV infection
rate is at the same level as Sub-Sahara Africa.

At a time when vulnerability to HIV is so high, why is the BC Government
choosing to cut the one sector of the BC community who is dedicated to
reducing HIV prevalence?

Public Event

If you disagree with the BC Government’s decision to cripple Community
Based Health Organizations by cutting their funding, come down to the
North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery on December 18th at 12pm. Wear
Red and let your voice be heard!!

Wear RED! to show your support!

Check out more at http://cancelthecuts.org/



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Peter Alexander Bazovský
e-mail: peterb at resist.ca
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"Frequently the only possible answer is a critique of the
question and the only solution is to negate the question."
Grundrisse, "The Chapter on Money"
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