HIV/AIDS: A major roadblock to development

Globally, more than 34 million persons are living with HIV. Of this number, 68 percent live in sub-Saharan Africa―a region with only 12 percent of the world's population.

In 2010, 1.8 million people died of AIDS-related illnesses, and 2.7 million were newly-infected with HIV, including 390,000 children.

In 2009, according to UNAIDS, 370,000 children contracted HIV shortly before or after birth or during breastfeeding and only 28 percent of HIV-positive children less than 15 years old had access to antiretroviral treatment. Between 2008 and 2009, only 51 percent of HIV-positive mothers were able to have their eligibility to receive antiretroviral treatment assessed.

Signs of hope and progress in the fight against this infection/disease, which first appeared thirty years ago, are now apparent due to:

• Development of new drugs and treatments
• Improved access to health services through stronger health systems
• Public information campaigns and effective prevention programs

Nevertheless, HIV/AIDS remains one of the largest roadblocks to development. Since this pandemic affects people from all walks in the prime of their lives, it has a devastating effect on the economic, social and political status of societies.

Canada and the global fight against HIV/AIDS

Canada is taking part in the collective global response to HIV/AIDS and recognizes the need to scale up efforts to achieve universal access to HIV prevention measures, treatment and care. That is why the fight against this infection/disease is one of the main components of CIDA's children and youth strategy.



An important part of Canada's efforts to improve maternal, newborn and child health is preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission. Without intervention, between 15 percent and 30 percent of children born to HIV-positive women can be infected with the virus during pregnancy or delivery; and between 5 percent and 20 percent during breastfeeding.

Canada is playing a leading role within the UN Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's Health, an objective of which is to provide access to antiretroviral treatment to pregnant HIV-positive women.

Canada's support for HIV/AIDS prevention and for care and treatment of those affected by this pandemic has helped save many lives in developing countries. Between 2005-2006 and 2010-2011, this support, channelled through global initiatives, multilateral and bilateral programs, and partnerships with Canadians, totalled more than $932 million.

This support is helping to meet the Millennium Development Goals, one of which targets halting and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.

Progress that is saving lives

Worldwide

Canada has always been an active supporter of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, contributing $1,518 billion to the fund since its founding in 2002, with the most recent pledge totalling $540 million over three years. Since 2004, the Global Fund has ensured that:

• 3.2 million people receive life-saving antiretroviral treatement for HIV/AIDS
• 170 million HIV counselling and testing sessions were conducted
• 5.6 million orphans were provided with medical services, education, and community care
• 1 million HIV positive women received drugs to prevent transmission of the virus to their children
• Bringing AIDS prevention messages to 4 million people in five countries of West Africa with the 2008 edition of the Love Life Caravan

In July 2010, the Government of Canada renewed its commitment to spend $111 million on implementing the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI), The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to $28 million to CHVI. Since 2007, CIDA has earmarked $30 million for the CHVI to develop an affordable, globally available HIV vaccine, as well as $30 million for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in low- and medium-income countries.

CIDA is working closely with its United Nations partners in the fight against HIV/AIDS. For example, CIDA provides institutional support to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), which amounted to $5.4 million for fiscal year 2010-2011.

In Haiti

The CIDA-funded PALIH support project for the fight against STIs/HI V/AIDS in Haiti, co-organized by the Center for International Cooperation in Health and Development and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation aims to reduce the prevalence of these diseases in the department of Artibonite by improving health system structures and the quality of services available to the general population and groups most at risk. In 2010:

• Capacities for managing and overseeing the department's health services improved considerably
• 1,143,470 residents had access to quality services for managing sexually transmitted infections
• 24 regional health units adapted to the people most at risk (sex workers and their clients, youth at risk, female victims of violence, and persons living with HIV) were put in place
• Quality of prevention services was improved by training health care personnel, by disseminating prevention messages, and by increasing the number of sales and distribution outlets for condoms
• The question of equality between women and men was better integrated into programs to prevent and combat HIV/AIDS

Today, 99 percent of the health establishments in Bas-Artibonite offer community services and have at their disposal the entire range of drugs to combat sexually transmitted infections. CIDA is contributing $19 million over six years to this project.

In Mozambique

As part of a collaborative effort to support the plans of the Mozambique Health Ministry, Canada, through CIDA's contribution to the Health Sector Common Fund (ProSaude, has helped strengthen local health systems and make health care services more accessible. In 2008:

• 88,211 HIV-positive individuals received antiretroviral treatment, up from 15,900 in 2005 (today, 24,320 women are receiving treatment, up from 8,244 in 2005)
• 386 health units offered treatment to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission, up from 96 in 2005
• 211 health units were equipped to provide antiretroviral treatment, up from 32 in 2005

In Tanzania

The second phase of the Rapid Funding Envelope for HIV/AIDS project in Tanzania provides grants to civil society organizations for short-term projects related to HIV/AIDS. The basic aim of the rapid funding envelope (RFE) is to improve the capacity building of the organizations to deliver services where they will have a greater effect, that is, in the communities of Tanzania.

One of the projects funded by Canada as part of the RFE and managed in Arusha by Chama cha Wazee na Wastaafu Arusha (Association for the Elderly and Retired in Arusha) helped lessen the effect of HIV/AIDS on the elderly who are suddenly called on to take care of HIV-positive relatives or to raise grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. As a result:

• A home care model was developed and implemented in 57 communities
• 18 home care workers and 18 educators were trained and equipped to help 114 seniors improve their skills
• Kits were given to these persons to help them care for the ill, but also to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS while dispensing care
• 45 representatives were trained to raise awareness of the effects of AIDS on the elderly

In Zimbabwe

Since 2006, CIDA has contributed $2.9 million to the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre to support the second phase of the centre's project on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in three districts of Zimbabwe: Chirumanzu, Shurugwi and Gutu. In 2010:

• 1,068 nurses, nursing assistants and other health care workers were trained on integrated preventive care for HIV
• Number of at-risk babies having received preventive treatment increased by about 25 percent compared to 2006
• 3,059 community workers and community leaders learned about HIV prevention and mother-to-child HIV transmission
• 58 health centres were upgraded so they could offer integrated preventive care to some 200 000 persons
• Some 2,400 health care workers were trained on the delivery of essential health services to pregnant women and on preventive treatment for babies exposed to HIV
• 36,887 men and women were informed on the prevention of HIV transmission through breastfeeding as part of awareness campaigns
• 18,796 community residents were informed on established prevention methods as part of workshops on prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission and equality between women and men

In South Africa

In South Africa, Canada provided $5 million to the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa to improve the delivery of sustainable palliative home care to HIV-infected individuals and their families. In March 2010:

• Some 14,000 patients a month had received care from the 50 CIDA-funded centres, all of which provide care to children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS (23 of them have programs geared to children and adolescents)

At the 17th International AIDS Conference in 2008, Canada reaffirmed its commitment to the HIV/AIDS Response Fund in South Africa with a view to helping local organizations reduce the incidence and prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the effect of the infection/disease on citizens. In all:

• 1,709,164 men, women, boys and girls have benefited from the fund's activities since 2005

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