Minister McLellan releases Canada's Report on HIV/AIDS 2003

1 December, 2003 - 01:00

Canada makes progress - more work lies ahead

OTTAWA - Today, the Honourable Anne McLellan, Minister of Health, released Canada's Report on HIV/AIDS 2003 - Looking Forward: Focussing the Response.

As part of the Government of Canada's commitment to report annually to Canadians on the progress made under the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS, Minister McLellan released Canada's sixth annual report on HIV/AIDS to mark the 16th annual World AIDS Day on December 1, 2003. The report highlights Canada's progress in fighting HIV/AIDS nationally and internationally, but indicates the country is not yet ahead of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

"Canada is taking important steps to advance the fight against HIV/AIDS and is demonstrating its strong support for the United Nations Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS," said Minister McLellan. "This report, however, makes it clear that we still have work ahead of us and that we must continue to get the message out that HIV/AIDS is fatal and remains a significant threat to the health of Canadians."

The report shows that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada continues to grow in scope and complexity. At the end of 2002, 56,000 people were living with HIV infection - an increase of 12 percent since 1999. The HIV epidemic affects many groups of Canadians, including gay men, Aboriginal people, injection drug users, people in prisons and people from countries where HIV is endemic.

More than 42 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. Sub-Saharan Africa has been hardest hit, with one in every 13 people between the ages of 15 and 49 HIV-positive. The Government of Canada is working towards giving developing countries greater access to much-needed, low-cost patented medicines for public health problems such as HIV/AIDS.

Together with its partners in the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS, the Government of Canada is also leading the development of a new action plan that will strengthen Canada's ongoing efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.

"I am confident that this action plan, once finalized, will help guide us as we collectively continue the fight against the epidemic," added Minister McLellan.

In May 1998, the Government of Canada announced a comprehensive strategy to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada. The Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS, with annual funding of $42.2 million, has clear goals:

  • prevent the spread of HIV infection in Canada;
  • find a cure;
  • find effective vaccines, drugs and therapies;
  • ensure effective care, treatment and support for Canadians living with HIV/AIDS and their families, friends and caregivers;
  • minimize the impact of HIV/AIDS on individual communities; and
  • counter the social and economic factors that increase individual and collective risk of HIV infection.

Copies of the World AIDS Day report are available on Health Canada's web site at
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/hiv_aids/index.html