Windsor advocacy group and health unit fight stigma on World AIDS Day

The number of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDSin Windsor-Essex has plateaued, but according to Michael Brennan, executive director of Windsor-Essex HIV/AIDS advocacy group, Pozitive Pathways, there is still a disconnect between diagnosis and treatment in marginalized communities.

Thursday isWorld AIDS Day, which was marked with aflag raisingat Charles Clark Square in Windsor.

In a speech given at the flag raising, Brennan said it is important to use an intersectional approach to mitigating HIV/AIDS infections.

"HIV thrives where inequities continue to persist," he said.

Data from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) shows that from January 2022 to last month,eight people have contracted HIV in Windsor-Essex County this year, and two people were diagnosed with AIDS.

"HIV is not a forgotten pandemic, and the power of community continues to demonstrate that it cares about marginalized populations, and is present to support and help," Brennan said.

Brennan said World AIDS day is a time to reflect on the estimated 40 million people we have lost to HIV/AIDS, and the 36 million people around the globeliving with HIV.

Dr. Ken Blanchette, the CEO of WECHU, spoke about the preventative medicine and counselling services people living with HIV/AIDS can access through the health unit.

"We do this work because it is important," he said.

Inequity and AIDS

World AIDS Day is the start of Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week.

"There are barriers that are in place in terms of how these populations are accessing support and care," Brennan said.

Brennan said "intersecting epidemics" alongside HIV/AIDS, like COVID-19, other blood-borne illnesses and poisoned intravenous drug supplies,"require intersectional responses."

"Without strategies to meet these needs, we may see a resurgence of HIV that would threaten our public health response to interconnected epidemics," he said.

"Canadians living with HIV are still falling out of care in the steps between diagnosis and treatment," Brennan said.

Brennan said Black and Indigenous people are making up a greater portion of new HIV infections in Canada. He said thisraises questions about why our HIV prevention response benefits some communities more than others.

"Stigma is one of the largest barriers in terms of accessing care," he said."You compound that with criminalization, racialization, and discrimination, that makes it even more harder to access support."

Blanchette also pointed to stigmatization as a barrier newly infected Canadians seeking help need to overcome.

"We can truly prevent the spread of this as long as we are aware, we understand how to prevent it, we have medication involved, and we can grant.... non-stigmatized access for these individuals to get the care that they need," Blanchette said.

CBC News asked Brennan if he had any words for someone who might be newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, and he said, "It is not a death sentence today."

"The support services here in the community, either our agency or from the Tecumseh clinic at Windsor Regional Hospital are very supportive for people. So we'll help you through the process at the end of the day."