Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

As HIV knowledge grows, our ability to improve the accessibility, effectiveness and sustainability of our response has never been more certain. In fact, we are in time of strong global consensus that the knowledge and biomedical tools exist to end HIV. This confidence is based on the recent, rapid acceleration of research findings in HIV, our increased understanding of the continuum of care, and our accumulated experience in addressing HIV at the frontline. At the same time, there is tremendous optimism in Canada about the rapidly changing landscape in HCV given that more effective treatments are available in some provinces and imminent in others. New national HCV screening and diagnostic guidelines are on the horizon and new national harm reduction best practice guidelines exist. Newer understanding of sexual transmission of HCV among men who have sex with men has also emerged from research. This new knowledge has the potential to significantly transform our national frontline response. However, while we have the knowledge to effect change in Canada, translating research into reduced infections and improved quality of life, as well as identifying, scaling up, and sustaining effective interventions in HIV and HCV is complex. To address this challenge, CATIE and partners will host a national knowledge exchange forum that brings together more than 300 people involved in the frontline response to HIV and HCV across Canada, including people living with HIV, people affected by HCV, researchers, community workers, healthcare providers, public health workers, program planners, policy makers and others. The forum will be an opportunity to communicate new health research evidence, to discuss the implications of our understanding of the continuum of care for HIV and HCV, share promising practices in new programming approaches, and strategize about identifying, scaling up, and sustaining effective programs.