Distribution of thousands of free HIV kits across Canada on World AIDS Day

With more than 6,000 Canadians living with HIV, the federal government plans to distribute approximately 200,000 free kits by 2030 to reduce the spread of AIDS.

Today, Friday, December 1st, is World AIDS Day and the beginning of AIDS Awareness Week among Canada's Indigenous communities. According to public health statistics, 18% of AIDS cases occur among Canadian Aboriginal people.

A study in Ontario found that African, Caribbean and Black people were less likely to know their HIV status (85%) than the general Canadian population (90%).

To date, more than 10,000 applications have been filed online and Ottawa has invested $8 million to provide the free kits. According to experts, these kits are of great help to people living in remote communities.

The Public Health Agency estimates that there will be more than 1,500 new cases of HIV infection in Canada in 2020. Women, men who have sex with men, and injecting drug users account for a significant proportion of new cases. One third of HIV transmission in Canada is transmitted through heterosexual intercourse.

According to experts, one out of every 10 HIV-positive people in Canada still does not have complete information about the presence of this virus in their body.

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