HIV/AIDS and First Nations People

HIV/AIDS and First Nations People

According to a report from UNAIDS, First Nations People in Canada are more than three times to be infected with HIV/AIDS than non-Aboriginals. Many attribute this to the socioeconomic factors that First Nations People who live on reserves are faced with.

Health Canada says that most new infections in the Aboriginal population come from intravenous drug use, and that the disease afflicts mostly Aboriginal women, and most newly infected Aboriginals are under the age of 30

Health Canada has set up an initiative called the Canadian Strategy on HIV/AIDS, which provides funding to Aboriginal communities and AIDS organizations. Despite this funding, HIV/AIDS is still on the rise amongst the Canadian Aboriginal community.