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July 31, 2006 Information
The State of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in CanadaThe first reports of HIV/AIDS related illnesses in Canada appeared in March of 1982. Since then, HIV/AIDS has become a national epidemic, with more than 60,000 positive HIV tests and 20,000 AIDS diagnoses having been reported in Canada. But many people with HIV/AIDS have never been diagnosed. New estimates indicate that roughly 58,000 people are currently living with HIV in Canada. About a quarter of these people are unaware of their infections. Over the last 10 years, treatments for HIV/AIDS have continually been developed, and people are now living longer with HIV infection. This increased survival contributes to the rising number of Canadians living with HIV. Canada's epidemic has grown in complexity and now affects many vulnerable populations. Currently in Canada, the groups most at-risk are men who have sex with men and people who inject drugs. However, the number of heterosexual men and women infected through unsafe sex is also rising. More women are being diagnosed with HIV and AIDS than in the past and now represent an estimated 20 per cent of all Canadians infected with HIV. Aboriginal people are also over-represented in the epidemic and are almost three times more likely to be infected by HIV than other Canadians. Other vulnerable groups include prisoners, at-risk youth, and people from countries where HIV is endemic. Since the beginning of the epidemic in Canada, much progress has been made. Canada's blood system now screens for HIV and other blood-borne infections, and mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been nearly eliminated. Public health interventions have helped prevent new infections, and policies and programs are more strategically focused on vulnerable populations. Steps have also been taken to increase public awareness of HIV/AIDS and tackle stigma and discrimination around the disease. As part of Canada's program to prevent new infections, Canada has supported a number of evidence-based initiatives aimed at reducing the high rates of HIV/AIDS infection among people who inject drugs. Since 2002, the percentage of new HIV infections attributable to people who inject drugs has declined from 19 per cent of the total to14 per cent. While this is good news, and provides evidence of the success of these evidence-based initiatives, the number of new infections among people who inject drugs remains unacceptably high at an estimated 350 to 650 during 2005. Through the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada—launched in 2005—the Government is developing specific approaches for populations vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. These approaches are intended to increase awareness and promote the prevention of HIV/AIDS in people that have been identified as at-risk. New programs will also be developed to provide support and to aid in the treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS. Over the past 20 years, Canada has made significant progress towards fighting HIV/AIDS. We have succeeded in improving awareness and decreasing the rate of new infection among some vulnerable groups. However, Canada still has a way to go before the threat of HIV/AIDS is eliminated. Groups that have seen a decrease in infection rates are still considered at-risk and progress to date cannot be taken for granted. The Government of Canada remains committed to the fight against HIV and AIDS, and we will continue to work towards awareness and prevention of these diseases. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Alain Desroches
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Last Updated: 2006-07-31 |  |
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