HIV/AIDS Scourge Growing in Canada

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to grow in Canada with a record 56,000 people infected despite two decades of prevention efforts and hundreds of millions spent to fight the disease. The number of cases marks a 12 percent jump since 1999, according to Health Canada's sixth annual report on HIV/AIDS, released Monday to coincide with World AIDS Day.

Gay men accounted for 40 percent of new HIV infections at the end of 2002. Other groups strongly affected are aboriginals, injection drug users, prisoners and people from countries where HIV/AIDS is prevalent.

Ottawa marked World AIDS Day by pledging $100 million (US$76 million) to fight AIDS in Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, one in every 13 people ages 15-49 is HIV-positive.

Health Minister Anne McLellan said Canada is playing an important role in the AIDS battle but the new report means the country still has work ahead to get the message out that AIDS is fatal and remains a significant threat.

Aboriginals noted that another native gets HIV every day. In the first six months of 2002, HIV among aboriginals grew by 26.5 percent, according to Garry Carbonnell, president of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS network. The increase was more than six times the rate among non-aboriginals.

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