Pubdate: Fri, 03 Feb 2012
Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN)
Copyright: 2012 The StarPhoenix
Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400
Author: Emma Graney
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?163 (HIV/AIDS)

EPIDEMIC TIED TO SHORTAGE OF HOUSING

REGINA -- More needs to be done to help lower HIV rates in 
Saskatchewan, according to Ann Livingstone, one of the founders of 
the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.

Livingstone was in Regina Thursday to talk to University of Regina 
students about the HIV rate and how it relates to issues such as 
homelessness and intravenous drug use.

"It is one of the hazards in the daily life of the drug user," she said.

"The thing we know about epidemics is that once you get a population 
with a certain level of HIV, it is extremely difficult to bring those 
numbers down, because you need to have no mistakes. This is urgent for sure."

Livingstone says the climbing rate of HIV in this province is tied to 
the chronic shortage of affordable housing.

"You can't stop an HIV epidemic when there's a housing shortage. You 
just can't," she said.

When it comes to the number of HIV diagnoses in Saskatchewan, the 
figures are startling. Between 2002 and 2009, the province 
experienced a huge spike in new cases, climbing to 19.3 per 100,000 
people from 2.5 per 100,000 people -- close to 12 points above the 
Canadian national average.

In 2010, that figure dropped by 14 per cent in Saskatchewan, with the 
majority of cases (44 per cent) reported in the Saskatoon Health 
Region. Regina-qu'appelle was next at 22 per cent, followed by Prince 
Albert Parkland at 14 per cent.

Despite the dip in numbers of new cases, the gap between aboriginals 
and non-aboriginals diagnosed as HIV positive remains high. In 2010, 
the proportion of newly diagnosed patients who are aboriginals was 73 
per cent, compared to 23 per cent non-aboriginal. Ethnicity was not 
reported by the remaining patients.

In an effort to curtail those numbers, in 2011 the province 
implemented a provincial HIV strategy.

The Health Ministry's chief medical health officer, Dr. Moira 
Mckinnon, says although there had been work on curbing HIV 
infections, it was the first time there was such a coordinated 
approach in Saskatchewan.

Costing $12 million over three years, the plan takes a case 
management approach to give people support in getting medical treatment.

"We found that a great number of people who had HIV were too 
frightened ... of the disease and the impact on their families to get 
help," Mckinnon said.

"As Ann Livingstone suggests, it's really important to support people 
and treat them as normal human beings, rather than dropouts of society."

Partners in the program -- including health authorities, social 
agencies and First Nations groups -- meet each week via 
teleconference to discuss strategy.

"We've already had huge success in taking services into communities 
and also in providing outreach into urban areas," she said.

"A lot of work has been done, but there's always more to be done."

The strategy also includes education, harm reduction approaches such 
as needle exchanges and, in Prince Albert, a trial funded housing 
program recognizing the importance of issues such as homelessness.

"The idea is to reach out, give positive people a voice, give them 
hope and reduce discrimination ... and I think we've really done work 
in those areas," MCKinnon said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom