Vancouver Persons With AIDS Society Newsletter Issue #43 December 1990

XMAS PRESENT AIDS A PROBLEM IN AFRICA AND NOT A PRIORITY IN BC, SAYS PROVINCIAL HEALTH MINISTER, John Jansen, in speech at the end of the Fourth Annual AIDS Conference; TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT Educational film premieres World AIDS Day; WE GET OUR HOUSING SUBSIDY ALLOCATION After long and persistent lobbying by the Vancouver Persons with AIDS Society, the British Columbia Housing Management Commission awards the Society an allocation of 25 unit subsidies to be granted to persons with HIV/AIDS. Qualifying members will have their rent subsidized to no more than 30% of their income. Information on applications and deadlines; CHRISTMAS AT THE PWA SOCIETY Events and call for volunteers; STAIRS CONQUERED! Vancouver PWA Society recieves a grant from the Foundation for Immune Disease to cover a proportion of the cost of a stair climber to make the offices more accessible; LEAVES OF AUTUMN Repeat of session from the Fourth Annual AIDS Conference on "Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life" by David Roy, director of the Centre for Bioethics at the Clinical Research Institute in Montreal; HEPATITIS-B VACCINE PROGRAM AXED BC Ombudsman to investigate allegations of governmental bias after a proposal to immunize injection drug users against hepatitis-B is vetoed; AIDS TREATMENT NEWS. T-CELL BOOSTERS: NAC LOOKS PROMISING. ALPHA-INTERFERON FLOPS. HIGHER DOSES OF PENTAMIDINE MORE EFFECTIVE. PERCENTAGE OF T-CELLS AS MARKER. PHOTOPHERESIS--PROMISING NEW TREATMENT. OESOPHAGEAL COMPLICATIONS: RESISTANT APTHOUS ULCERATION IN HIV POSITIVES; BLOOD TESTING: WHY AND HOW Information on blood testing available through the Vancouver PWA Society; THANKS CHUCK for the fantastic job handling the blood testing program; NEUROLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS AND AIDS Some information on neuropathy; CALENDAR; ONGOING EVENTS; KEVIN: MEMORY Remembrance of Kevin Brown by Antony Laird excepted from One Voice, Anglophone Newsletter of Comite SIDA Aide Montreal; THETIS ISLAND RETREAT Event report; BRUSH UP! Toothbrush information; THERAPEUTIC TOUCH Benefits of Therapeutic Touch and sessions available; CHRISTMAS COMFORT Commentary from the Compassionate Friends of Bereaved Parents Newsletter; KUDOS OF THE MONTH; ALGAE: A POWERFUL IMMUNE SYSTEM ENHANCER Nutritional information; ALLESANDRO CASULA Obiturary; THE COWBELLES MOO! Fundraising report and annoucement; IN HOSPITAL? WANT SOME VISITORS? Hospital Visiting Team volunteers available to visit members in hospital; HEY! NEED A BUDDY? AIDS Vancouver has a group of interesting, caring people who are ready to be matched up with a PWA; GIVE US A CALL ON OUR HELPLINE Peer counsellors available by telephone; HEALING CIRCLE Program discontinued until December 12th; NEW HOPE Narcotics Anonymous group New Hope (HIV+/-) meeting every Thursday at the PWA Society; 90/91 GST CREDIT Information on applying available; HELPLINE Volunteers Needed!; NOTICEBOARD;