Downtown Eastside (DTES)

• Population is over 8000
• 74% Male
• Poorest area of Vancouver.
• Double the mortality rate.
• Large First Nations population: 10% of the men and 25% of the the women diagnosed as HIV+ in 1995 were aboriginal. All tested self-identified transsexuals are HIV+.
• Over 5000 registered with needle exchange.
• Over 600 known HIV positives (probably double).
• It is estimated that people infected with HIV and TB are 400 times more likely to develop active TB.