October 5, 2010
Manitoba saw a 20 percent increase in new HIV/AIDS cases last year, and most new HIV diagnoses were made only when the patients were at an advanced stage of illness, according to the Manitoba HIV Program's 2009 update. Health officials had warned in 2008 that the province could see an explosion of HIV among aboriginals, and the new data show infections are disproportionately high among native populations as well as women. MHP has increased its outreach in rural and northern areas, said Sane Dube, a spokesperson for Winnipeg's Nine Circles Community Health Center. She added that officials must determine why more women are becoming infected, and they must identify barriers to prevention and treatment.