The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), with the support of many partners, is pleased to release this status report as the second of eight reports intended to summarize current evidence1 about the impact of HIV/AIDS among key populations in Canada. Communities, governments, public health practitioners, non-governmental organizations, researchers and others are encouraged to use this report to inform the future direction of HIV/AIDS policy, programming and research to positively affect the health and well-being of Aboriginal peoples.
This series of status reports was initiated to support the actions set out in the Federal Initiative to Address HIV/AIDS in Canada2, the Government of Canada’s framework for federal investment in HIV/AIDS, and to provide a comprehensive evidence base for other partners and stakeholders involved in the Canadian response. Launched in 2005, the Federal Initiative identifies the need for more effective interventions and improved HIV/AIDS prevention, research, diagnosis, care, treatment and support initiatives for specific populations living with, or at risk of, HIV and AIDS. These populations include people living with HIV/AIDS, gay men, people who use injection drugs, Aboriginal peoples, people in federal prisons, youth at risk, women and people from countries where HIV is endemic.