Grant: TG: Biomedical Res. for HIV/AIDS and STBBI -Next-Gen. Prev. Technolo.-Large Team

Everyone in Canada should have what they need to take care of their health and wellbeing to thrive. But we know that this is not the case - and it is far worse for many people confronted by intersectional and structural factors (e.g., colonization, residential schools, racism, homophobia, ageism, stigma and discrimination). There is ample data in Canada to show that because of systematic, structural and prolonged social, economic and environmental conditions and disadvantages, people who are living with, or affected by, HIV and/or other sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBIs) have significant health disparities that affect their health, wellbeing, and survival. This situation is getting significantly worse, especially in the Prairies and Northern regions of Canada. Over the next 5 years, we will implement and scale a constellation of responsive testing technologies with cultural appropriate population-level public health structural interventions to support testing, prevention, treatment and care for those who are the most underserved/affected by HIV and STBBIs in the Prairies and in Northern communities. Fundamental to this will be our community-centred approach with our interventions and knowledge mobilization efforts involving people with lived, living and loving experience. We will also build intersectional spaces for training the next generation of scholars who will become leaders in the field.