Population-Specific HIV/AIDS Status Report: People from Countries where HIV is Endemic - Black people of African and Caribbean descent living in Canada

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Foreword

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), with the support of many partners, is pleased to release this status report as the first of eight reports intended to summarize current evidencei about the impact of HIV/AIDS among key populations in Canada. Communities, governments, public health practitioners, non-governmental organizations, researchers and others are encouraged to use this report to inform the future direction of HIV/AIDS policy, programming and research to positively affect the health and well-being of people from countries where HIV is endemic.ⁱⁱ

This series of status reports was initiated to support the actions set out in the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/ AIDS in Canadaⁱⁱⁱ , the Government of Canada’s framework for federal investment in HIV/AIDS, and to provide a comprehensive evidence base for other partners and stakeholders involved in the Canadian response. Launched in 2005, the Federal Initiative identifi es the need for more effective interventions and improved HIV/AIDS prevention, research, diagnosis, care, treatment and support initiatives for specifi c populations living with, or at risk of, HIV and AIDS. These populations include people living with HIV/AIDS, gay men, people who use injection drugs, Aboriginal peoples, federal inmates, youth at risk, women and people from countries where HIV is endemic.

In addition, these status reports support the objectives of the report Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS (2005-2010).^iv Developed and launched by stakeholders in 2005, Leading Together renews Canada’s collective efforts to deal with not only HIV/AIDS but also with the underlying health and social issues that contribute to new infections and have devastating effects on people who are living with HIV/AIDS. Leading Together encourages collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, skills and resources so that, together, we can stop HIV.

This status report was guided by a national working group with expertise in research, epidemiology, community development, policy and program development and the lived experiences of people from countries where HIV is endemic. Their input and advice was instrumental in ensuring that the report presents the most current, relevant evidence and innovative responses that exist in Canada today. This fi rst population-specifi c HIV/AIDS status report focuses on people from countries where HIV is endemic, specifi cally Black people and communities of African and Caribbean descent living in Canada. This is the first time PHAC has attempted to present HIV/AIDS-related information relevant to this population in a comprehensive manner. The decision to focus on Black people living in Canada in the fi rst report stems from the fact that the HIV/AIDS epidemic among Black people in Canada needs to be better understood, and the community’s readiness to be involved, including its strategic efforts to address the issue through the project Springboarding a National HIV/AIDS Strategy for Black Canadian, African and Caribbean Communities^v and its recently released report Taking Action on HIV and AIDS in Black Communities in Canada: A Resource for Moving Ahead.^vi

The preparation of this fi rst report yielded a number of lessons that will infl uence future reports in this series, including the next version of this report, expected in 2012. As is the case in any work of this nature, limitations were encountered in the data gathering, analysis and reporting phases. Nevertheless, the report is comprehensive and includes valuable information to further our knowledge and understanding of the epidemic. PHAC welcomes comments on the report to assist with the development of future population-specifi c HIV/AIDS status reports.

After 25 years of collective commitment and investment, HIV/AIDS continues to be a major public health challenge that requires a concerted, collaborative response. Examining the underlying factors and conditions that create resiliency or increase vulnerability to HIV is the key to understanding how best to structure an effi cient and sustainable response to the epidemic. It is with this objective in mind that this report was prepared.

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