PROVINCE RECOGNIZES WORLD AIDS DAY

Saskatchewan is marking World AIDS Day, December 1 by highlighting provincial efforts to address HIV/AIDS and support people living with the disease.

Health Minister Dustin Duncan spoke today at the All Nations Hope AIDS Network HIV Conference and reiterated the government's commitment to continue efforts to address HIV/AIDS in collaboration with provincial partners.

"We recognize HIV is a serious issue for Saskatchewan, and we're committed to reducing the HIV incidence in our province and improving the quality of life for people living with HIV," Duncan said. "We are into the third year of implementing the provincial HIV Strategy and we have made significant progress on a number of initiatives in partnership with our stakeholders."

The province has invested over $8.5 million in the first three years of the strategy. Year one and two focused on recruitment of frontline service providers, increasing social supports, encouraging testing, and increasing access to public education, testing, prevention, care and treatment.

The strategy is now focusing on educating and mentoring health care and allied professionals to work in multidisciplinary teams, continuing to expand outreach clinics for HIV/Hepatitis C/Tuberculosis/Sexually Transmitted Infections and reducing HIV-related stigma.

The ministry recently compiled a toolkit with information on how to address HIV-related stigma. The toolkit provides resources for individuals, communities and health care and allied professionals and is available on the Ministry of Health website at www.health.gov.sk.ca/hiv and the HIV Provincial Leadership Team website at www.skhiv.ca.

As of 2010, Saskatchewan's HIV rate was the highest in Canada. Also, the province continues to have the highest rate of new HIV cases, at over twice the national average.

The Ministry of Health has just posted the 2011 HIV Annual Report, currently available on the ministry's website. In 2011, there was an eight per cent increase in the number of new cases compared to 2010 but a seven per cent drop from the highest level in 2009. The recent increase in new cases is due, in part, to enhanced efforts to promote HIV testing.

The ministry of Health recently conducted an HIV awareness campaign, developed in partnership with First Nations and Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada. Phase one was rolled out in winter 2011/spring 2012 and was aimed at encouraging people to get tested and access treatment and support. Phase two was launched in October 2012 and is aimed at challenging HIV-related stigma and creating greater support for people living with HIV. The campaign includes Youtube videos featuring champions who have a close connection to HIV and offer their perspective. The videos can be viewed on the Ministry of Health website.

A series of events and activities are being organized by health regions and community-based organizations in Saskatchewan to mark AIDS Awareness Week November 24 - December 1, World AIDS Day, December 1 and Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week, December 1-5.

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For more information, contact:

Tyler McMurchy
Health
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4083
Email: tmcmurchy@health.gov.sk.ca