Is Canada’s HIV funding ‘complacent?’ Why experts say time is now for boost

The 2023 budget fell short of offering new funding – and didn’t reference HIV once. Experts say now is a crucial time to amp up funding for treatments.

Despite calls for the federal government to take immediate action to eradicate human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Canada, the 2023 budget fell short of offering new funding — and didn’t reference HIV once.

In the 41 years since the first HIV case was documented in Canada, groundbreaking medical discoveries are bringing the prospect of a cure closer than ever. But advocates say it isn’t the science that’s preventing the eradication of this virus, it’s a lack of political will to provide the funding needed to expand access to treatment.

HIV organizations tasked with growing infections and high inflation-fuelled operational costs say until the government increases funding, more Canadians will suffer unnecessarily. Under the current system, they say they are left fighting for limited government dollars.

“Half of our time is on the programs that we’ve been funded for and the other half of the time is finding new programs,” said Ken Miller, executive director of the Canadian AIDS Society.

“Otherwise we have to fold.”

Currently, the federal government spends $33.4 million annually on the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund and the Harm Reduction Fund. The fund supports organizations and projects working to prevent infections and improve access to all sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections treatment.

Last year, Canada also pledged $17.9 million to make HIV self-testing more widely available, including in northern, remote and isolated communities across Canada.

But NDP justice and LGBTQ2 critic Randall Garrison said raising the annual amount allocated for HIV treatment and prevention would be a drop in the bucket in the scheme of all government spending.