REGINA – Dec. 1 marks world AIDS day, which is a time to honour those who’ve died from HIV and to increase awareness about the disease. In Saskatchewan, the need is especially great as the number of diagnosed cases among the Aboriginal population is among the highest in the world.
Ron Horsefall was first diagnosed with HIV in 1996 after having unprotected sex years before.
“One thing that ran through my head was suicide,” he said when his doctor told him he was HIV positive.
“Because, it’s like who’s going to want me.”
A provincial strategy was unveiled in Regina by First Nation leaders Monday in the hopes of tackling these high numbers.
The Executive Director of the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network Ken Clement considers a strategy long overdue.
“It is a crisis, we’re not dealing with the issues in a holistic way,” he explained.
“We’re just looking at one issue, a band-aid approach to health services. I think it needs to be comprehensive.”
The new Iindigenous HIV and AIDS Strategy is a four-year document outlining the need for agencies working with people living with the disease to address underlining social issues affecting Aboriginals.
Margaret Poitras is CEO of All Nations Hope Network and said it’s about looking through an “indigenous lens.”
“We’re looking at the teachings of the medicine wheel and looking at addressing HIV through a medicine wheel teaching. Looking at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual and incorporating those ways into what already exists in this province.”
Although the rate of diagnosed cases remains high among Saskatchewan’s Aboriginal population, the overall number of new cases is on the decline.
Provincial Health Minister Dustin Duncan credits a focus on awareness and education for the decline but acknowledges the need to do more.
“Despite the fact there’s been an increase by 30 per cent in a number of tests done, new cases are down from 199 four years ago, to 129 this year,” he explained.
“So, we’re going in the right direction.”
However, the number of Aboriginal cases isn’t decreasing at the same rate as the general population, which reinforces the push to look through an indigenous lens to eradicate the drastically high numbers.
Horsefall said he believes the strategy is a step in the right direction.
“It’s hard to go down that path because you have to start talking about things people don’t want to talk about.”
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