Is AIDS still a problem in Canada?
- Currently, there are approximately 71,300 Canadians living with HIV, an 11% increase from 2008.
- More than a quarter of Canadians who are HIV-postive are not aware of their status.
- An estimated 6,380 Aboriginal people were living with HIV (including AIDS) in Canada at the end of 2011.
- There are an estimated 16,600 women living with HIV (including AIDS) in Canada, accounting for 23% of the national total.
Young Canadians remain surprisingly uneducated about the risks of HIV and AIDS.
- A quarter of sexually-active teenagers admitted to not using a condom during their last sexual encounter.
- More than half of Canadian grade 9 students wrongly believe there is a cure for AIDS.
When it comes to research, Canada is one of a handful of countries with the intellectual capital, infrastructure and resources to make a significant difference in the global fight against AIDS. Advanced HIV and AIDS research is happening in hospitals and universities across the country. Since 1987, CANFAR has proudly funded over $18 million in Canadian research projects.
CANFAR-funded researchers have discovered:
- A key component of the drug treatment that is keeping many people alive today;
- Findings that have nearly eliminated the risk of HIV transmission between a mother and her baby; and
- An HIV vaccine candidate that can reduce, and sometimes prevent, HIV progression.
AIDS in Canada is still a problem. But with your help, we have the power to create a Canadian solution to this global problem.
For additional information visit:
