Sask. Canada has the worst HIV infection rate, recent statistics show

Toby Esterby says he sees new HIV infections being diagnosed all the time.

“We're not seeing one case a week,” said Esterby, chief operations officer of Saskatoon's Westside Community Clinic.

“Every week we have a few new cases. Week after week.”

Saskatchewan will have the worst HIV infection rate in Canada in 2023, according to recently released statistics.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said Saskatchewan's infection rate last year was 19.4 per 100,000 people, more than three times the national rate of 6.1 per 100,000.

West Side Community Clinic is on the front lines of HIV care. The number of regular patients is 800.

Esterby said there is no reason for HIV to spread. He said it could be prevented with planning and resources.

“We're really struggling with people trying to deal with HIV,” he said. “They're trying to take care of themselves, they're trying to be on time for appointments, they're trying to do all these things.”

He said many of his patients are dealing with food security, housing issues, family relationships and healing from trauma. These social determinants consume so much of their time and energy that they are unable to address their health needs.

“We often hear that Canada is one of the more economically stable and prosperous provinces in the Dominion of Canada,” he said. “And yet we are here.”

Esterby said HIV is a fully treatable chronic disease.

“No one should die from HIV,” he said. “We lose someone every week.”

long waiting list

Sanctum Care Group is a non-profit organization in Saskatoon that primarily works with pregnant women who are at risk of contracting HIV, or who may already be infected and are not taking medication. Saskatchewan's first and only HIV hospice and transitional care home.

Caitlin Roberts, Sanctum's executive director, said Saskatchewan isn't always the best place to provide appropriate care and support if someone is diagnosed with HIV.

Sanctum is working to strengthen prenatal care and ensure women receive the right medications.

“Unfortunately, over 70 per cent of the pregnant women we work with are homeless and 80 per cent of them struggle with injection drug use,” she said. “So we recognized the need very early on.”

Sanctum 1.5 is an inpatient home designed to support clients 24/7. Our 10-bed group home in Saskatoon serves the entire province.

“We have been battling long waiting lists for a very long time,” she said.

Sanctum also operates PORT, a prenatal support and resource team in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Regina. Ms Roberts said this was an intensive case management approach in which the team worked with women at risk of having their infants arrested during childbirth, providing comprehensive services and support.

Dr. Carla Spence, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, was the principal investigator on a two-year analysis of HIV cases in Saskatchewan.

She said that number is declining globally, but not here.

“We don't see trends like this anymore globally,” she says. “HIV is now a chronic disease.”

He said HIV is often associated with poverty and social determinants, infection rates are much higher among young women, and the biggest risk factor is unprotected sex.

Spence said HIV is easy to manage and there are very good treatment plans that can help people live long, healthy lives.

“Health often takes a backseat when addressing deeper issues like housing and food security, which increases vulnerability.”

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