IT'S TIME TO LET COMMUNITIES LEAD.
World AIDS Day is when citizens around the world unite to show support for people living with HIV and to remember those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of the pandemic. This year, UNAIDS wants to ‘Let Communities Lead’ the efforts to halt the HIV epidemic in Canada.
It ends with us.
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HALIFAX, NS
JULIE THOMAS
HEALING OUR NATIONS
THE CYCLE OF STIGMA
HIV stigma stops people from getting tested and getting connected to care.
VANCOUVER, BC
JESSY DAME, R.N.
CBRC
INDIGENOUS-LED RESPONSE
Indigenous communities are taking back space and self-determining their sexual health.
REGINA, SK
SHINY MARY VARGHESE
APSS
HARM REDUCTION WORKS
About 20% of new HIV cases are among people who inject drugs.
TORONTO, ON
NOTISHA MASSAQUOI, PhD.
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
ACCESS TO CULTURAL CARE
African, Caribbean and Black women face significant challenges to access prevention and treatment services.
MONTRÉAL, QC
ALEXANDRE DUMONT BLAIS
RÉZO SANTÉ
BARRIERS TO TESTING
Testing is the most important tool we have to end the HIV epidemic in Canada.
what people living with hiv wish canadians knew about the virus
TRUE OR FALSE?
Test your knowledge of HIV. Hover over each statement to find out if it’s true or false.
HIV/AIDS IS JUST AN LGBTQ ISSUE
PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV CAN'T HAVE CHILDREN
HIV IS NO LONGER AN EPIDEMIC
HIV ALWAYS LEADS TO AIDS
IT'S risky TO HAVE SEX WITH A PERSON LIVING WITH HIV
IT'S EASY TO TRANSMIT HIV
HOW YOU CAN MAKE An impact
GET TESTED.
Testing lets people know their status and get connected to either treatment or prevention services. You can order HIV self-testing kits online, or you can find your nearest sexual health provider to request more information.
LEARN ABOUT HIV.
Educate yourself on the basics of HIV, how it’s transmitted and how to prevent new cases through the use of condoms and other prophylactics, PrEP, PEP, and harm reduction when using injection drugs.
CHALLENGE STIGMA.
Talk openly about HIV. Encourage inclusive sexual health education. Create spaces for people living with HIV to be their authentic selves.
WEAR A RED RIBBON.
Show your support for people living with and affected by HIV and those we’ve lost to AIDS-related illnesses since the beginning of the pandemic. The red ribbon is a great conversation starter to talk about HIV in your community.
DONATE TO YOUR LOCAL HIV/AIDS ORGANIZATION.
Visit the list of 100 partner organizations below to find service providers in your region and click through to support their vital work and see who’s hosting a World AIDS Day event in your area.
HIV IN CANADA BY THE NUMBERS
of new HIV CASES in Canada are among Indigenous people
of all new HIV CASES ARE among people who inject drugs
of all new HIV CASES ARE among females
of all new HIV CASES ARE THROUGH HETEROSEXUAL SEX
of all new HIV cases are among men who have sex with men
Learn more about the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in Canada through CATIE, Canada’s source for HIV and hepatitis C information. Click here.
HOW CANADA IS DOING AGAINST UNAIDS' 95-95-95 TARGETS
To end HIV as a public health threat, UNAIDS released the 2025 AIDS targets that show us how we can end the epidemic–locally, nationally and globally. We can end HIV as a public health threat in Canada if we reach the thresholds of:
It’s estimated that 1 in 10 Canadians living with HIV don’t know their status. And that 13% of Canadians diagnosed with HIV aren’t on treatment. We need to close these gaps if we’re going to end the HIV epidemic.
Click here to learn more about UNAIDS 2025 Targets.
light it up red!
Landmarks from coast-to-coast are ready to light up red for World AIDS Day. Check out some of the Canadian monuments that will be bringing awareness to HIV/AIDS on December 1, 2023.
SHAREABLE GRAPHICS
CAMPAIGN PARTNERS
The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) was founded in 1987 and aims to end Canada’s HIV epidemic by leading national strategies to increase prevention, testing, treatment and linkage to care, and to end HIV stigma. Fuelled by fundraising, CANFAR supports Canadian researches, builds national awareness, and cultivates partnerships for real-world implementation projects. Over the past three and a half decades, CANFAR has invested more than $25 million in close to 550 grants to HIV/AIDS research projects that have led to tremendous breakthroughs in HIV prevention, testing, access to treatment, eradicating stigma and the search for a cure. In addition, CANFAR annually reaches close to 1.5 million Canadian youth and educators through its national HIV youth awareness programs.
CATIE strengthens Canada’s response to HIV and hepatitis C by bridging research and practice. We connect healthcare and community-based service providers with the latest science, and promote good practices for prevention and treatment programs. As Canada’s official knowledge broker for HIV and hepatitis C, you can count on us for up-to-date, accurate and unbiased information.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.