PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Our Healthbox is a smart vending machine that increases FREE access to HIV self-test kits, sexual health supplies like condoms & dental dams, and safe injection equipment to minimize HIV transmissions in our communities. It’s a project by REACH Nexus and the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital, with support from various funders including CANFAR.
CANFAR's Co-funders
What is Our Healthbox?
Our Healthbox is a “smart” vending machine in Canada, helping to support communities nationwide. Developed by Dr. Sean B. Rourke, director of REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and CANFAR’s Scientific Advisor, these cutting-edge machines feature interactive touchscreens installed onto commercially available vending machines — transforming them into Our Healthbox units.
The result? Machines that provide free, low-barrier access to HIV self-test kits for people to “known their status,” potentially life-saving naloxone kits to respond to overdoses, wellness products (e.g., menstrual and hygiene products or seasonal items like hats and gloves), and harm reduction supplies tailored to each community’s needs.
Our Healthbox as a tool for research
CANFAR’s investments in Our Healthbox falls under implementation science, which is the scientific study of how to best promote the adoption and integration of evidence-based practices, interventions, and policies into routine healthcare and public health settings to improve population health outcomes.
As part of our Bold Actions strategy to end the HIV epidemic in Canada, Our Healthbox fulfills our priority to fund implementation research focused on addressing health issues faced by Indigenous peoples, African, Caribbean and Black people, racialized women, and people who use substances and inject drugs.
“CANFAR is proud to support the launch of several Our Healthbox machines across Canada. With this initiative, we are helping to make vital resources, like HIV self-test kits, available to everyone, no matter their circumstances. Our Healthbox will help normalize conversations around sexual health and reduce stigma in our communities,” says Alex Filiatrault, CEO of CANFAR.
What's in Our Healthbox?
Our Healthbox responds to the needs of each community. Working with local community health organizations, Our Healthbox helps to curate a selection of up to 25 items that will provide the sexual health and harm reduction supplies most needed in their areas.
Included in every Our Healthbox funded by CANFAR and our partners are HIV self-test kits, an integral tool to help people learn their HIV status and to get connected to effective treatment in the case of a positive result.
Where are CANFAR-funded Our Healthboxes?
St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Funded with:
Frequently asked questions
We want to reach everyone in Canada who is significantly underserved with health challenges — regardless of who they are or where they live — and to help to support them in their journey to care. We are particularly focused on reaching people with complex health and social needs and people who experience systemic barriers (e.g., due to racism, homophobia, stigma and discrimination) in accessing testing for HIV and other sexually-transmitted and blood borne infections, harm reduction and sexual health supplies, and culturally appropriate prevention, care and treatment.
Participants join the program by signing-up at their local Healthbox machine. They can dispense any items they need (for free), access health education materials and a healthcare services directory to connect to the care they may need. In order to join the program, persons must meet the following criteria:
- Must be living in Canada,
- Be at least 16 years of age in Canada (18 years of age in Quebec),
- Must be able to read and understand English or French
Once a person joins the program, they will create a unique log-in ID, anonymously answer an optional short survey (to help us understand who we are reaching), and access items they need for their health. Persons do not need to sign-up or sign-in to access educational information or the local services directory. Along the way, participants can also anonymously share their experiences to help us evaluate the program. The data collected is shared with the host agency for their program planning and decision making.
Our Healthbox will typically dispense supplies like HIV self-tests, COVID-19 test kits, harm reduction supplies (e.g. naloxone kits, new needles etc.), sexual health supplies (e.g. condoms, lube etc.) and other wellness items we often take for granted (e.g. menstrual and hygiene products, seasonal items like hats and gloves, food items, etc.)
No. The machines are stocked with supplies chosen by each community agency (Community Champion) which determines what supplies are most needed to support the health of their members. Some community agencies have stocked their machines with harm reduction supplies (like new needles) to help reduce the risk of HIV, hepatitis C and bacterial infections, and to help prevent long and expensive hospital stays and premature death. We work with and closely support each community to help determine what is best for them.
Agencies should be keen and have a dedicated team to implement the Healthbox. REACH Nexus works with each organization to complete the on-boarding process. This includes a formal contract with procedures, responsibilities and accountabilities.
Sites are responsible for providing the following:
- The staffing to stock supplies including harm reduction, sexual health and wellness supplies typically sourced through health system/public health funding. REACH Nexus will provide HIV self-test kits (subject to availability) for each organization or agency;
- Availability of consistent internet (Wifi or Ethernet connection) and an unshared, standard power outlet for two plugs (120 volts, 15 amps) with regular supply, which the Healthbox requires for the interactivity, dispensing of items and provision of the mapped service directory;
- A secure and accessible location for the Healthbox. The machine is approximately 190cm H x 105cm W x 105cm D (75” x 42” x 42”) and weighs around 700kg (1500 pounds). If the Healthbox is to be located outdoors, there are specific requirements for the enclosure (e.g. a concrete slab or levelled equivalent base to put the machine on, vestibule with appropriate air gaps and/or temperature control in colder areas with an overhang to protect from the weather).
REACH Nexus is partnering with community organizations and frontline agencies to host up to 100 Our Healthbox machines across Canada over the three-year implementation program.
In January 2023, Our Healthbox launched the first 4 machines in New Brunswick. The Atlantic Region scale up of is made possible with the generous support from the Even the Odds initiative (a partnership between Staples Canada and MAP).
Our Healthbox program is now active in 11 communities across Canada and has reached over 9,100 people, with more than 114,000 visits and has delivered over 65,000 health and wellness supplies, including more than 1,100 free HIV self-test kits, over 2,000 Naloxone kits and more than 23,000 sexual health items. Visit www.ourhealthbox.ca to learn more.