Canada's Report on HIV/AIDS 2005

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The Way Forward

Canada's HIV/AIDS response has reached a turning point. With the release of Leading Together: Canada Takes Action on HIV/AIDS (2005-2010), a broad spectrum of stakeholders have signalled their intention to renew and widen their efforts and to engage others in fighting the epidemic. As a key element of this reinvigorated response, the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada provides a framework for strengthened federal action and leadership in strategic areas.

Increased federal funding for HIV/AIDS will support the response as we move forward. Already, the impact of this additional funding, which is being ramped up year by year until it reaches $84.4 million annually by 2008-2009, is being felt in communities and among at-risk populations across Canada. It is supporting HIV/AIDS research, prevention, treatment, support and rehabilitation initiatives. It is supporting the tireless work of dedicated staff and volunteers on the front lines of the epidemic, without whom there would be no response.

There is a new sense of hope and optimism around Canada's HIV/AIDS response. Yet there is also an awareness that the challenges before us - both on the domestic scene and globally - are formidable. HIV/AIDS continues to take a merciless toll in many parts of the world. In Canada, the most vulnerable in society continue to be at risk of HIV infection. As illustrated in this report, people living with HIV/AIDS are no longer a single community - they are several communities, each with its own needs and challenges.

In Canada and internationally, comprehensive, evidence-based approaches to HIV prevention must be sustained and scaled up. These efforts must effectively address the underlying determinants of health that leave people vulnerable to HIV infection. They must combat stigma and discrimination and protect and promote the human rights of vulnerable groups.

The XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August 2006 is an opportunity for Canada to highlight its successes in responding to the epidemic at home and abroad. It is also an opportunity for us to learn from the experiences of others. Most importantly, AIDS 2006 is an opportunity for Canada and Canadians to show leadership in fostering an environment where real progress is possible in stopping the spread of HIV and ridding the world of AIDS.

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