Recruitment is now open for the "Food Security" study that will examine how food security affects health outcomes in people living with HIV in Ontario, BC and Quebec.  This study is led by the OHTN in partnership with the Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) and Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA) in Ontario; the BC Centre for Excellence, AIDS Vancouver and Pacific AIDS Network in BC; and COCQ-Sida in Quebec; and is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This CBR study builds off of the success of our other CIHR-funded studies:  Positive Spaces Healthy Places (PSHP) and Employment Change and Health Outcomes (ECHO) in HIV/AIDS. We are recruiting up to 1200 participants with HIV in Ontario.  If you would like to participate or know people who may be interested in participating, please call:  1-855-246-3388 or 416-969-4890.

Public health professionals, researchers, policy makers, academics and students from across the country and around the world will meet in Montreal, Quebec for the 2011 Annual Conference of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) as the Association enters its second century of service to Canadians.  Each year CPHA has the opportunity to recognize individuals/groups and/or organizations that have made a significant contribution in the area of public health. CPHA is now accepting nominations for several awards and honours in public health. This year's nominations should be submitted no later than March 30, 2011. For further information and to submit a nomination, see the CPHA website. 

With the support of a three-year research grant from the Krembil Foundation, Casey House is seeking a part-time Research Coordinator to support the development of a research program designed to improve care for Casey House clients, and to contribute to broader knowledge and care for people with HIV who have complex health care needs. Casey House is a specialty hospital with community programming, including home care and outreach, that is committed to providing exemplary treatment, support and palliative care for people affected by HIV/AIDS in collaboration with community. Job duties will include developing and implementing a program evaluation system for a future Day Health Program, managing research projects, and supporting knowledge transfer and exchange. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2011. For more details, please see the job posting.

The Peel HIV/AIDS Network (PHAN) has made significant progress over the past few years on its mission to serve people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and to achieve significant and sustainable growth to provide more support, education, advocacy and volunteerism in the Region of Peel. Faced with the possibility for a renewed vision and other opportunities, PHAN is expecting that responding with a vibrant and effective strategic planning process will allow them to build on their history, respond to the diverse needs of people living with HIV/AIDS and community members who are at-risk, build leadership and capacity, and maximize opportunities to make a difference for their stakeholders. In response, PHAN is seeking proposals from organizations that may be interested in supporting them to design and facilitate a strategic planning process that responds to their current and potential opportunities, formulate a three to five year strategic plan, and develop the implementation plan and key tools associated with it. The deadline to submit proposals is 5 PM EST on March 8, 2011. For more information, please see the PHAN website. 

Casey House is pleased to host a full day HIV/AIDS and Mental Health Symposium on "Maintaining Excellence in Health Care for People Living with HIV/AIDS" in Toronto on March 11, 2011. Casey House is committed to providing exemplary treatment, support and palliative care for people affected by HIV/AIDS in collaboration with communities. This symposium aims to provide an opportunity for health care professionals and AIDS service providers to learn, build capacity, and exchange knowledge. Space is limited and registration is required. For more details and to register, please visit the Casey House website.  

The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) is pleased to present a free community health forum on "Aging with HIV: A Holistic Approach to Living Well" on March 16, 2011. The forum will discuss ways to stay healthy with age, screening and prevention strategies, and nutrition to support long healthy living. Admission is free but registration is required. For more details, please see the ACT website.

The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and other colleagues are seeking support in the ongoing effort to fix Canada's Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR), the law that is supposed to help supply more affordable, generic AIDS drugs and other medicines to developing countries. As you may know, Bill C-393 is important legislation now before Parliament that would strengthen CAMR and deliver life-saving medicines to those most in need in developing countries.  If CAMR can be made to work by enacting Bill C-393's reforms - including the "one-licence solution" - it would be one mechanism helping to address the persistent global inequity in access to health care. It is important that health professionals and scientists speak out in support of this initiative.  Bill C-393 will be coming up for a final vote in the House of Commons in early March, so MPs need to hear from concerned Canadians before then.  Please consider adding your name to the draft open letter to Parliamentarians, calling on them to take action to pass Bill C-393. If you would like to sign on to this letter, please send your name, professional qualifications and any relevant affiliations to Lindsey Amèrica-Simms by March 1, 2011. Click here for more info about Bill C-393.