World AIDS Day: ensuring universal access to HIV prevention

As part of the fight to end HIV in Canada, PSAC is partnering with MAX Ottawa, a community organization dedicated to queer men’s health. This partnership aims to address access to essential virus prevention and treatment services.

Since announcing the partnership last year, we have worked on several key issues:

• we conducted an interprovincial analysis to identify best practices and gaps;
• we surveyed community groups and health professionals about the obstacles encountered on the ground;
• we studied various models around the world to find the best solutions for Canada.

These efforts are essential to access to HIV prevention and treatment services across the country.

Ensuring that the new drug insurance plan leaves no one behind

In October, the PSAC celebrated alongside the Canadian Labor Congress the historic victory of the adoption of the Prescription Drug Insurance Act. However, this is only one step toward our ultimate goal: a comprehensive, public, single-payer drug insurance program.

The new law provides some guidance, but it is now up to the provinces and territories to conclude bilateral agreements so that the system is implemented fully and equitably across the country. It is essential that the program covers medications for the treatment of HIV, but also for its prevention, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Currently, access to PrEP varies between provinces and territories. Without private insurance, you can expect to pay between $250 and $1,000 per month. In British Columbia, PrEP is available free to eligible people through a centralized network of clinics. In other provinces, we are instead dealing with a disparate system that mixes public and private. Still others don’t even have a program. These disparities disproportionately affect Indigenous, racialized, or otherwise marginalized communities, as well as rural populations.

PSAC and MAX Ottawa continue to fight to ensure universal access to HIV prevention and treatment services. On this World AIDS Day, let us celebrate progress while reaffirming our commitment to building a future where the fight against HIV leaves no one behind.