The summit, held this past October, was an important venue for discussing the challenges – and exploring the opportunities – facing HIV work across Canada…
On October 24, 2024, ViiV Healthcare Canada convened its first national community summit on HIV care. More than 100 HIV advocates, public health partners, educators, researchers and community leaders from across Canada attended the groundbreaking one-day event in Toronto, as they united in working towards solutions that improve the quality of life for Canadians living with and impacted by HIV.
Community organizations across Canada are undertaking crucial work that has a significant impact on both the lives of people living with HIV and on Canada’s overall efforts in combatting HIV. It’s more important than ever to bring these advocates together for critical conversations centred on combatting HIV, and the summit gave attendees an opportunity to connect and learn from each other through their work and passion for fighting HIV and its surrounding stigma.
“We have been so isolated over the last decade in our work, predominantly due to funding and competition in grants,” says advisory board member Emily Carson. “Having the ability to gather, to talk and share our work brings us back to why we do the work that we do. The connection to each other makes us stronger.”
Inspired by a similar summit that has taken place in the United States annually for the last 26 years, this first Canadian summit’s advisory board – comprised of community members and sector leaders who have attended past American summits – guided all elements of the summit, from agenda to panel discussion topics.
The meeting featured four comprehensive panel discussions in a “talk show style” format, with distinguished leaders guiding discussions that provided guests with the latest insights and inspirations and were followed by interactive Q&A sessions for deeper insights.
An early-morning panel on “Navigating HIV from Youth to Aging with Dignity and Care” (which was moderated by Emily Carson, Consultant, Community Engagement & International Indigenous HIV-related issues) discussed the evolution of the HIV treatment awareness and treatment landscape since the early years of the virus, and explored the unique challenges faced by individuals living with HIV at different life stages, from youth to older age. The panellists identified the need to support youth with HIV, especially so they are not lost to care when transitioning to adult care, as well as the need to assist older patients in navigating Canada’s healthcare system. Another focus was on promoting strategies for ensuring that individuals living with HIV can age with dignity, including targeted education and advocacy within long-term care and senior living facilities.
A panel on “Transforming HIV Care and Support for Women & Girls” examined the diverse experiences of women and gender-diverse individuals in accessing HIV care across the country. The panellists identified key barriers to HIV care for women, and how to reach especially impacted groups, including Indigenous and Black women, services for women with HIV must respect and integrate the multiple dimensions of identity. They also showcased successful community-led initiatives that are transforming HIV care and support for women and girls.
A comprehensive panel on “Centring HIV and Harm Reduction on a Brighter Future” analyzed the role of harm reduction in HIV prevention improving health outcomes for people living with HIVwho use drugs. They discussed how changing societal attitudes towards harm reduction requires a multi-pronged approach, including demonstrating the value of harm reduction in the context of both HIV prevention and minimizing harm from the poison drug supply. They highlighted the importance of collecting evidence on the benefits of harm reduction, which can be mobilized to build support among the public and policy makers.
The final session of the one-day event, “Collaborative Strategies for HIV Support and Advocacy for 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities,” examined the social determinants of health that impact 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals living with HIV, and discussed strategies for reducing stigma and increasing access to care within these communities. The group also highlighted the importance of co-locating sexual, mental, and social care in order to serve the multi-dimensional healthcare needs of queer communities, and of promoting collaboration among healthcare providers and advocacy groups to create more inclusive HIV care systems.
“I think the ongoing conversation about aging and HIV from youth to seasoned ages is our biggest reality in the community,” Carson reflected on her concrete learnings from the Toronto summit. “Kids born with HIV are adults now and our first generations are aging and combating new difficulties. We need to continue to address this. But also, the funding crisis we all face with our organizations but our everyday lives. Food, housing, transportation are all more and more expensive and how can we address those everyday issues.”
Community organizations from across the country left the summit with momentum to carry on their vital work through the next year. ViiV Healthcare Canada is already planning on hosting a second national summit in late 2025, building off the success of this year’s event.
“I think we need to continue to push our funding systems to be reactive and allow for dynamic changes,” says Carson. “We need to keep reaching out of our silos and working together and sharing resources because this is going to get harder before it gets easier. We need to be united in our dedication to people living with HIV because that’s why we are all here. “
Here’s A Closer Look At All Of The Session Speakers At ViiV Healthcare Canada’s First National Community Summit On HIV Care
Navigating HIV from Youth to Aging with Dignity and Care
Moderator: Emily Carons (Consultant, Community Engagement & International Indigenous HIV-related issues)
Panellists:
- Asha Ulusow (Community Research & Leadership Coordinator)
- Dr. Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco (Assistant Professor, University of Toronto)
- Donald Turner (Executive Director, DUDES Club Chatham-Kent)
- Dr. Bertrand Lebouché (HIV & HCV Primary Care Specialist, McGill University Health Centre)
Transforming HIV Care and Support for Women & Girls
Moderator: Marvelous Muchenje (Community Relations Manager, ViiV Healthcare)
Panellists:
- Melissa Morris (Community Coordinator, Ka Ni Kanichihk)
- Claudia Medina (The Teresa Group)
- Wangari Tharao (Director of Research Programs, WHIWH, CHC)
- Doris Peltier (Community Engagement Coordinator, The Feast Centre)
Centring HIV and Harm Reduction on a Brighter Future
Moderators: Trevor Stratton (Indigenous Leadership Policy Manager, CAAN) and Keith McCrady (Executive Director, 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations)
Panellists:
- Shiny Mary Varghese (Executive Director, AIDS Programs South Saskatchewan)
- Jo Parker (Program Coordinator, Mainline Needle Exchange)
- Dr. David Tu (Family Physician, Kilala Lelum Health Centre)
- Orville Burke (Director of Health Promotion, Black Coalition of AIDS Prevention)
Collaborative Strategies for HIV Support and Advocacy for 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities
Moderator: Randy Davis (HIV Activist, InclusHIV Consulting)
Panellists:
- Jaylene McRae (Two-Spirit Research Coordinator, Community Base Research Centre)
- Osmel Maynes (Director of Philanthropy, Community and Engagement, HQ Toronto)
- Dr. Ravinder Dhillon (Family Doctor, Simcoe-Muskoka)
To learn more about ViiV Healthcare Canada, visit www.viivhealthcare.ca.
To read more about community responses to HIV, visit www.unaids.org/community; to read more on the impact of community-based organizations for people living with HIV, visit www.ohtn.on.ca; and to read more on the WHO celebrating the role of communities in driving progress towards ending AIDS, visit www.who.int. Discover local HIV community organizations across Canada at whereto.catie.ca.
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