Canada: Saskatchewan Health Officials Raise HIV Alarm, Warn Virus Will Hit Aboriginals Hard

HIV in Saskatchewan's aboriginal community is comparable to the epidemic found in some African countries, health officials say. The province logged 174 HIV cases last year, a three-fold increase since 2004, and aboriginals are the hardest-hit group, according to the Ministry of Health. Most transmissions were acquired from needle-sharing, and young aboriginal women are especially at risk.

"If you think decimating the African population was bad, HIV in this province will kill 15 to 30 percent [of the aboriginal population]. Not all at one time, but over a five- to 10-year period," said Dr. Khami Chokani, medical health officer for the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region.

"In the public health sector, this is having a considerable effect, as these increases are appearing primarily in the young females, pregnant women, and newborn babies," Chokani said. "There are babies being born with HIV and that's completely avoidable," said Dr. Moira McKinnon, the province's chief medical officer. "We know that young girls are getting infected and they are getting sick very quickly, and all of this is avoidable, if we get onto it."

The information flow between health authorities is poor, as is knowledge about what is driving the epidemic, McKinnon said. The province needs more resources to deal with its increasing caseload, she said.

"They don't feel compelled to go to the reserve clinic because that's a community clinic and once they walk into the reserve clinic and you ask to be tested the cat is out of the bag," said Kelly Patrick, interim director of health for Metis Nation-Saskatchewan. "The stigma that is associated with AIDS is entrenched in many of the aboriginal communities, making it very difficult for them to deal with the issue," said Stephen Lewis, former UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa.

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