New money for HIV screenings could help 'remove barriers,' says Reseau Access Network

It's a long-awaited answer to a call made by community organizations for more than a decade. On Monday, the Canadian government announced it's putting $18 million toward the expansion of HIV screenings in Canada.

The announcement came out of the 24th International Aids Conference in Montreal, which wrapped up on Tuesday. 

It follows calls put forward by a coalition of HIV organizations for a boost to federal spending on HIV, from $73 million to $100 million annually.

About $8 million will be allocated to 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 for expansion of HIV testing in northern, remote or isolated (NRI) communities.

They won't have to travel many hours away to get testing.— Angèl Riess, education and communications co-ordinator

Angèl Riess is the education and communications co-ordinator with Réseau Access Network in Sudbury. She said the news is significant for both community organizations and the people they serve — especially in the far reaches of the country.

"The federal government has committed to removing barriers, really," she said.

"There are systemic barriers to accessing HIV testing which include stigma and discrimination in a lot of health care settings and AIDS service organizations as well as HIV self-testing helps remove some of those barriers."

The Canadian government estimates there are nearly 63,000 people living with HIV in Canada, and one in 10 of those aren't aware they have the virus. 

Health Canada approved the first HIV self-test in late 2020. It's a one-minute, finger-prick blood test from Richmond, B.C., company bioLytical Laboratories Inc.

According to a release put out by the federal government, the funds are also meant to help expedite diagnostics within communities, in that specimens can be tested on location and don't have to be sent elsewhere. 

The Canadian government said it's also aiming to apply lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to HIV/AIDS.

"During the pandemic, COVID-19 molecular testing was implemented in health facilities in First Nations communities across Canada to enhance access to testing and improve turnaround times for results. The 'testing close to home' option is critical for equitable access to testing and for closing the gap in testing capacity in remote communities," the government said, in a release. 

According to Riess, self-testing kits will make a substantial difference for people in remote communities and could possibly increase the number of people who get tested. 

"Bringing that 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 testing," Reiss said. 

She added that Réseau Access Network in Sudbury is already a self-testing pick-up location, in partnership with the I'm Ready to Know program. Should a member of the community test positive for HIV, Reseau Access Network is prepared to connect them with the care they require.