According to a recent United Nations Population Fund report, Vancouver's Downtown Eastside "is home to a hepatitis C (HCV) rate of just below 70 per cent and an HIV prevalence rate of an estimated 30 per cent -- the same as Botswana's."

Now just looking at that pile of trash makes me a little uneasy, but no more than having to walk anywhere near this area of my hometown. For those of you visting during the 2010 Olympics you might get a gympse of this depending on how well they cattle the bums into some unseen location. If you do however see the filth and sadness that is East Hastings, make sure you let our authorities know we need to actually do something about it.