Funding cuts to organizations offering support to people living with HIV/AIDS are shortsighted, said a doctor working in the Downtown Eastside.
"I cannot understand how the government would think this could possibly be any cost savings," said Dr. Mark Tyndall, program director at B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. "In the whole scheme of things the money necessary to keep these community organizations is a very miniscule amount ... compared to what we spend on health care."
A person diagnosed with HIV/AIDS can cost the health-care system in the neighbourhood of $250,000 for treatment.
AIDS Vancouver, focused on AIDS prevention along with service provision, must cut its administrative budget by roughly $250,000, in phases starting yesterday.
Vancouver Coast Health will shave about $5 million from its budget by requiring contract service providers to cap administrative spending at 10 per cent.
