Canada: Alberta HIV Agencies Plead With Province for Continued Funding

The Alberta Community Council on HIV is urging authorities to safeguard $2.3 million ($2 million US) the province now gives to 14 HIV agencies rather than shift the funds to the nine health regions.

Council spokesperson Susan Cress said they want assurances that the Alberta Community HIV Fund "will in fact stay in place." However, Alberta Health spokesperson David Dear said that as funding for HIV is part of a budgeting process, nothing can be guaranteed until the next provincial budget is presented.

The HIV agencies said their grassroots approach helps them reach at-risk populations, including gay men, sex workers, aboriginals and immigrants.

"If you have a woman who's aboriginal, HIV-positive and also an injection drug user, for her to access support from the health region is more difficult than if she comes in and sees someone like me, whom she's had a relationship with for five years," said Deborah Jakubec, executive director of HIVEdmonton.

Last year, Alberta recorded 140 new HIV cases. While that is the lowest figure in seven years, 39 percent were female, the highest proportion ever. Of the women, 31.5 percent acquired their infection through sex and 28 percent through injection drug use. Another 17 percent were women from countries where HIV is prevalent. The remaining infections among females were of unknown origin.

Many women lack the self-esteem to negotiate protected sex with their partners, said Jennifer Vanderschaeghe, the Alberta council's chairperson.

Back to other news for February 8, 2006