Works to Fight HIV/AIDS Globally

HIV/AIDS

A Comprehensive Approach: Canada Builds on What Works to Fight HIV/AIDS Globally

The Africa Directions' Bauze Community Youth Centre is the first youth drop-in centre in Zambia and is an HIV/AIDS project that helps youth aged 18-25.

In 2009, the Government of Canada announced that securing the future of children and youth would be one of three new priority themes guiding Canada's international assistance. Under this strategy, CIDA is focused on the prevention of the transmission of HIV from mother to child, which can occur during pregnancy, labour and delivery, or breastfeeding. Without treatment, about 15-30 percent of babies born to HIV positive women will become infected with HIV during pregnancy and delivery. A further 5-20 percent will become infected through breastfeeding. However, the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be reduced to less than 2 percent by interventions that include antiretroviral prophylaxis to mothers and infants, and elective caesarean delivery.

Canada is committed to scaling up efforts to achieve universal access to services for HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support. Its contribution to the global response to HIV/AIDS will recognize the importance of promoting and protecting human rights, with particular emphasis in four key areas, namely:

• advancing effective, evidence-based HIV prevention, including linking HIV/AIDS with education and the development HIV vaccines
• promoting equality between women and men and women's empowerment to address the increasing proportion of women infected by HIV/AIDS
• strengthening health systems in developing countries to ensure equitable access to essential care, treatment, and support for all those who need it
• promoting the rights of children and protecting children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS