Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week

Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week occurs annually from December 1 - 5. The theme for World AIDS Day 2009 is Universal Access and Human Rights. This theme highlights and underscores the importance of understanding HIV and AIDS from a human rights perspective.

This years Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week echoes this important theme and how it pertains to Canadian Aboriginal issues. “Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support is a critical part of Aboriginal rights,” states Ken Clement, CEO of Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. “Our event will create a platform for us to explore legal, federal and moral obligations to provide those basic health services to the Aboriginal people - First Nations, Métis and Inuit – who make up a unique segment of the concentrated HIV/AIDS epidemic in Canada.” (1)

Unfortunately Aboriginal people are overrepresented in HIV infection rates. “Since 1998, the proportion of positive HIV test reports attributed to Aboriginal persons has remained steady, at just over 20%... However, in 2006 the proportion of positive HIV test reports attributed to Aboriginal persons was 27.3% among the provinces and territories reporting ethnicity information with their HIV reports” (2). We have updated our briefing document on Aboriginal People and HIV which provides a more detailed picture of HIV in Aboriginal communities and can be accessed here.

AIDS Calgary endeavours to serve diverse Aboriginal communities via outreach, partnerships, and capacity building. Specifically, we provide HIV/AIDS awareness sessions for Aboriginal agencies and communities, disseminate Aboriginal focused HIV publications, and provide compassionate culturally sensitive support services to Aboriginal people living with HIV. Approximately 18% of our clients living with HIV identify as Aboriginal. To learn more about our support services visit our website.

Other Resources:
Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network
Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week


1. National Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week 2009: Leaders Gather to Discuss Aboriginal Access. Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. http://aboriginalaidsawarness.com/AAAWpressrelease.pdf Retrieved December 3, 2009.
2. HIV/AIDS Epi Updates (2007). Public Health Agency of Canada. http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/publication/epi/pdf/epi2007_e.pdf Retrieved December 3, 2009.