HIV infection from needle sharing is declining across the country, except in Saskatchewan where there has been a significant increase – largely in the Aboriginal community.
“There is some other thing going on and we have to uncover what that is,” said Ann Livingston, director of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.
The number of people in the province affected with HIV is more than twice the Canadian average.
Ann Livingston co-founded North America’s only safe injection site, located in Vancouver’s downtown eastside.
She was at the University of Regina today speaking on Saskatchewan’s rising infection rate.
“In order to work out what Regina needs, there needs to be a real dialogue between researchers but drug users are the ones that are missing,” she said.
Margaret Poitras agrees.
She’s worked at All Nations Hope for 15 years, providing support and education for Aboriginal people with HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis C.
“Setting up a peer group so they can talk about what is working for them and what is not working for them is important,” said Poitras.
“You ask me what are the barriers, well there are so many. Where do I start? I like to start at the beginning.”
The beginning traces back to the impact of the residential school system.
“We are still in a generation of families who were in residential schools who are still having children and they have not healed from the trauma that happened in the schools.”
She says a safe injection site, like the one in Vancouver might work in Regina, but first the treatment centres that already exist should be able to provide the right care.
“When treatment centres were set up, they were set up for alcohol, so injection drug use is fairly new to the centres and how they are dealing with them, Poitras said.
Poitras sees her role as education people about safe injections and safe sex.
It’s a simple message that she works daily to deliver.
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