Question Period Note: HIV/AIDS

The Government of Canada has endorsed global targets that aim to end the AIDS and viral hepatitis epidemics and to reduce the health impacts of sexually transmitted infections by 2030. Community-based organizations and researchers have called on the Government of Canada to increase funding to address HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) in Canada.

• Our Government is taking action, with our partners, to prevent HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections.
• We are investing more than $88.5 million this year in research, prevention and support for communities.
• Canada’s community-based organizations are at the front-line in preventing infections and supporting treatment and care. We are supporting their work.
• We have also invested over $224 million over the last five years, in HIV/AIDS research including research on prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
• We will continue to provide leadership in Canada and globally.

The Pan Canadian Sexually Transmitted Blood-Borne Infections Framework for Action:
In 2018, The Government of Canada and its provincial and territorial (P/T) partners released the Pan Canadian Sexually Transmitted Blood-Borne Infections (STBBI) Framework for Action that will guide Canada’s efforts to reduce the health impacts of STBBI and to contribute to global efforts.

Government of Canada Five-Year Action Plan on STBBI:
In July 2019, the Government of Canada released its five year Action Plan on STBBI (2019-2024) which outlines a renewed and expanded collaborative approach to address STBBI within the federal mandate. The Action Plan reflects a whole of Government approach and encompasses the work of ten federal departments. The Action Plan aims to accelerate Canada’s efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat STBBI, and address barriers to care and is based on the latest evidence and reflects priorities identified by partners and stakeholders.

The Action Plan outlines seven priority areas for federal government action:
1. Moving toward truth and reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples
2. Stigma and discrimination
3. Community innovation
4. Reaching the undiagnosed
5. Providing prevention, treatment and care to populations that receive health services or coverage of health care benefits from the federal government
6. Leveraging existing knowledge and targeting future research
7. Measuring impact - monitoring and reporting on trends and results

Investments in community-based projects are a key component of the Government’s response and the Government works closely with its P/T counterparts to ensure efforts complement and strengthen the impact of their investments. The $88.5 million in funding includes: surveillance; guidance for health professionals; research; community-based response and support to First Nations and Inuit communities. As part of this investment,
$26.4 million annually is to support communities through the HIV and Hepatitis C Action Fund and $7 million annually, is to support communities through the Harm Reduction Fund.

HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund:
Through the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund (CAF), launched in 2017, the Government of Canada is investing $26.4 million annually to support 85 projects working at the community level to prevent new infections, reduce stigma and discrimination and increase access to testing and treatment. From this investment, $4 million annually is dedicated to projects led by Indigenous organizations.

Priorities for this funding program focus on slowing the spread of STBBI, decreasing the number of people who are unaware of their infections, increasing the number of people accessing treatment, and addressing the effects of stigma. CAF supports integrated approaches to disease prevention, increasing the effectiveness of prevention initiatives and supporting a more efficient community-based response by addressing common transmission routes, risk behaviours, affected populations, and stigma associated with STBBI.

Harm Reduction Fund:
Through the Harm Reduction Fund (HRF), the Government of Canada invests $7 million annually to support community-based projects across Canada that will help reduce HIV and hepatitis C among people who share drug-use equipment such as needles and pipes. These funds complement existing investments under the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund by focusing on a population that is particularly at-risk for these infections. The funding helps community-based organizations implement or enhance harm reduction measures, such as providing: education resources for people who use drugs; support for peer-based outreach and navigation initiatives; and training for health providers.

In addition to research funded through the Five-Year Action Plan on STBBI, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), from 2014-15 to 2018-19, funded over $224 million on HIV/AIDS research and more than $24.6 million on Hepatitis C research through its investigator-initiated research programs.

Additional STBBI specific investments have also recently been made, including:
• More than $48 million over five years for STBBI programs and services for First Nations and Inuit communities (Indigenous Services Canada).
• $5 million over five years under the new Innovative Diagnostics Program at the National Microbiology Laboratory.

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