The announcement came at the 24th International Aids Conference in Montreal, which concluded on Tuesday. It follows calls by a coalition of HIV organizations to boost federal HIV spending from $73 million to $100 million annually. About $8 million will go toward purchasing self-testing kits and distributing them to community organizations across the country. The other $9.9 million will go to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg to expand HIV testing to northern, remote or isolated (NRI) communities. They will not have to travel many hours away to take exams.— Angèl Riess, training and communication coordinator Angèl Riess is the training and communication coordinator with the Réseau Access Network in Sudbury. He said the news is important to both community organizations and the people they serve — especially in remote areas of the country. “The federal government is committed to removing barriers, really,” he said. “There are systemic barriers to accessing HIV testing, which include stigma and discrimination in many health care settings and AIDS service organizations, and HIV self-testing helps remove some of these barriers.” The Canadian government estimates that there are nearly 63,000 people living with HIV in Canada, and one in 10 of them do not know they have the virus. About $8 million will go toward purchasing self-testing kits and distributing them to community organizations across the country. The other $9.9 million will go to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg to expand HIV testing to northern, remote or isolated (NRI) communities. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images) (Getty Images) Health Canada approved the first HIV self-test in late 2020. It’s a one-minute blood test from Richmond, BC-based bioLytical Laboratories Inc. According to a statement released by the federal government, the funds are also intended to help speed up diagnosis within communities, as samples can be tested in place and do not need to be sent elsewhere. The Canadian government said it also aims to apply lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to HIV/AIDS. “During the pandemic, molecular COVID-19 testing was implemented in health facilities in First Nations communities across Canada to improve access to testing and improve result turnaround times. The ‘testing close to home’ option” is critical to equitable access to testing and closing the gap in testing capacity in remote communities,” the government said in a statement. According to Riess, the self-testing kits will make a real difference for people in remote communities and could potentially increase the number of people getting tested. “Bringing the same model to HIV testing will be beneficial because people will be able to access it from anywhere. They won’t have to travel many hours away to get tested,” Reiss said. She added that the Réseau Access Network in Sudbury is already a self-monitored drop-in site in partnership with the I’m Ready to Know program. Should a community member test positive for HIV, Reseau Access Network is ready to connect them to the care they need.
