Government of Canada supports community-based projects addressing HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections

The Government of Canada is committed to working with partners and stakeholders across the country in support of the global goal of ending viral hepatitis, HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) as public health threats by 2030. The contribution of community-based organizations is central to Canada’s ability to achieve these targets.

November 2023

The Government of Canada is committed to working with partners and stakeholders across the country in support of the global goal of ending viral hepatitis, HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) as public health threats by 2030. The contribution of community-based organizations is central to Canada's ability to achieve these targets.

Projects funded by the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund (CAF) and Harm Reduction Fund (HRF) take an integrated approach to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of prevention initiatives for these infections, along with other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.

HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund

Through the CAF, a total of 10 projects in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are receiving $10,798,274 in funding.

Project: Bringing Our Fires Together: A Provincial Tele-Mentorship Network for Peer Support Workers
Funding: $1,844,501
Recipient: University of Saskatchewan (Pewaseskwan- Indigenous Wellness Research Group)
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Project Details: This project will strengthen the capacities of HIV and hepatitis C peer support workers, with a focus on underserved communities (e.g., rural/remote, Indigenous and/or inner-city areas). This will be achieved through the development, implementation and evaluation of a tele-mentorship and support program with and for peers so that they may better provide culturally safe, de-stigmatizing, and community-based support to people at risk and/or living with HIV/HCV in their communities.

Project: SSHOUT CARES (Culturally Appropriate, Radically Engaging on STBBIs)
Funding: $1,273,393
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Recipient: Sexual Health Centre Saskatoon Inc. ($775,612); Outsaskatoon Inc. ($497,781)
Project Details: This project aims to provide culturally appropriate and engaging prevention interventions on STBBI to young people in the community who may lack connections to formal education systems.

Project: "By Us, For Us" Peer-led STBBI testing Innovation in Northern Manitoba
Funding: $1,250,000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Recipient: Manitoba Harm Reduction Network Inc.
Project Details: The purpose of this project is to improve access to effective STBBI prevention, testing, treatment, and ongoing care and support for people who use drugs by facilitating peer-led community based STBBI events. These events will create a stigma-free, culturally safe environment for people who use drugs to access health care and social services.

Project: Mino Pimatisiwin: Indigenous Led STBBI Care Made Sovereign
Recipient: Ka Ni Kanichihk Inc.
Funding: $1,250,000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Project Details: This project will build the capacity of peers, knowledge keepers and service providers in delivering culturally safe Indigenous led sexual health care with a focus on testing.

Project: Sexual and Behavioural Health Promotion and Barrier Reduction Initiative
Funding: $1,188,000
Location: Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Recipient: Prince Albert Métis Women's Association Inc.
Project Details: This project aims to increase knowledge of HIV in North Central Saskatchewan among people living with and at-risk of HIV through various activities such as training, educational workshops, and knowledge exchanges.

Project: Accelerating our Response to HIV-STBBI's In Manitoba through Innovation and Collective Impact
Funding: $1,101,845
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Recipient: Nine Circles Community Health Centre Inc.
Project Details: This project aims to increase knowledge on effective evidence-based HIV, hepatitis C and other STBBI prevention measures; strengthen capacity of service providers to improve the cultural safety and stigma-free nature of testing, prevention, treatment and ongoing support; and creating a system change.

Project: Community-Lead Initiative for the Prevention of STBBIs
Recipient: STC Health and Family Services Inc.
Funding: $923,293
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Project Details: This project will support STBBI prevention education programs for members of key populations, particularly Indigenous peoples, people who use drugs and those living with HIV and Hepatitis C. The prevention education programs will help build skills that can result in behavioural changes to reduce the transmission of STBBI in Saskatoon and to rural communities.

Project: Regina & South Saskatchewan HIV/HCV/STBBI & Stigma Prevention
Funding: $903,141
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
Recipient: AIDS Program South Saskatchewan Inc. (APSS)
Project Details: The project aims to increase prevention knowledge and uptake of personal behaviours that prevent HIV, hepatitis C and other STBBI among key populations through educational sessions and other activities that promote harm reduction behaviours. The project also aims to decrease the sharing of substance use equipment.

Project: Meyew Machihewin- Wellness
Funding: $622,101
Location: North Battleford, Saskatchewan
Recipient: Battlefords Family Health Centre Inc.
Project Details: This project aims to prevent infection, improve health outcomes related to STBBI, and support Indigenous people within Battleford. Key project activities include support for mental health and addictions programs, harm reduction sites and outreach van, and educational activities.

Project: Making it Our Own
Funding: $442,000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Recipient: Sunshine House Inc.
Project Details: This project will work with current participants in their main programs to develop harm reduction materials related to prevention and encourage testing of HIV, hepatitis C, and other STBBI that are specific to the key populations that visit Sunshine House. These populations are Indigenous people and 2SLGBTQ+ who use drugs and who are newcomers to Canada.

Harm Reduction Fund

Through the HRF, a total of 5 projects in Manitoba and Saskatchewan are receiving $3,730,984 in funding.

Project: Safely Supporting People Who Use Substances: Saskatchewan's Standardized Frontline Training
Recipient: Prairie Harm Reduction Inc.
Funding: $1,184,965
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Project Details: This project will reduce stigma for people who use drugs through training of care providers to improve safety and reduce stigma in both daily and crisis interactions. This project plans to develop and distribute evidence-based and culturally safe harm reduction training resources for care providers across Saskatchewan, focusing on "train-the-trainer" resources and training videos.

Project: "By Us, For Us" Peer-led STBBI testing Innovation in Southern Manitoba
Funding: $750,000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Recipient: Manitoba Harm Reduction Network Inc.
Project Details: The purpose of this project is to improve access to effective STBBI prevention, testing, treatment, and ongoing care and support for people who use drugs by facilitating peer-led community based STBBI events. These events will create a stigma-free, culturally safe environment for people who use drugs to access health care and social services.

Project: Drug Culture Experts: Peer Leadership in Community Health
Recipient: Manitoba Association of Community Health Inc.
Funding: $750,000
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Project Details: This project will create a network of peer-directed community health services offering services ranging from an enhanced harm reduction supply distribution to an intentional network of primary care clinic days designed to reduce and eliminate stigma and meaningfully serve people who use drugs.

Project: Expanding a Decolonized Approach to Harm Reduction Services in Regina SK
Funding: $600,000
Location: Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan
Recipient: All Nationals Hope Network Inc
Project Details: This project will support three Indigenous Cultural/Health Navigators to provide frontline response, harm reduction, outreach and support to people living with HIV and people who use and share substance use equipment.

Project: Indigenous Doulas Caring for People Who Use Substances
Funding: $446,019
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba
Recipient: Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority
Project Details: This project aims to increase access for prenatal care, offering STBBI screening, treatment, and supports for those in the early parenting period by introducing Indigenous doula services. Harm reduction will also be enhanced with supply distribution and overdose prevention kit distribution.