Ottawa – The Government of Canada is committed to working with partners and stakeholders across the country in support of the global goal of ending viral hepatitis, HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) as public health concerns by 2030. The contribution of community-based organizations is central to Canada’s ability to achieve these targets.
Projects funded by the HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund (CAF) and Harm Reduction Fund (HRF) take a combined approach to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of prevention methods for these infections, along with other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.
HIV and Hepatitis C Community Action Fund
Through the CAF, a total of 11 projects in Alberta, are receiving $10,522,350 in funding.
Project: Interdependent Capacity Building through the Privileging Wisdom of Key Populations
Funding: $2,231,987
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Recipient: HIV Network of Edmonton Society (HIV Edmonton)
Project Details: The project aims to use a capacity-building framework, which is evidence-based and informed by best practices, to address systematic barriers experienced by key populations when accessing health services.
Project: Northern Indigenous Health Alliance
Funding: $1,604,765
Location: Grande Prairie, Alberta; High Level, Alberta; Onoway, Alberta; Peace River, Alberta
Recipient: Grande Prairie Friendship Centre ($360,000); High Level Native Friendship Centre Society ($361,950); Sandy Beach Ki Mamow Atoskanow Foundation ($522,815); Sagitawa Friendship Society ($360,000)
Project Details: This project will improve access to prevention, testing, and treatment for HIV and other STBBI among Indigenous people living with or at risk of HIV/STBBI through enhanced coordination of services, workshops for service providers and community members, and prevention strategies that blend traditional and medical healing practices.
Project: HIV and STBBI Prevention and Education project
Funding: $1,412,202
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Recipient: SafeLink Alberta Society (formerly HIV Community Link Society)
Project Details: This project aims to increase HIV and STBBI prevention among key populations by increasing awareness and knowledge; supporting the uptake of risk reduction practices; and improving access to prevention, testing and support services.
Project: African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) Services in Alberta
Funding: $1,301,007
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Recipient: Ribbon Rouge Foundation
Project Details: This project will enhance the capacity of African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) people, partnership agencies, and service providers to prevent transmission and improve referral for ACB people impacted by HIV and hepatitis C.
Project: Health Empowerment through Active Leadership (HEAL)
Funding: $925,540
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Recipient: Queer and Trans Health Collective (formerly Edmonton’s Men’s Health Collective Society)
Project Details: This project aims to address gaps in STBBI care through a community program to build practical skills, improve health literacy, and increase community connections, and the implementation of 6 sexual health interventions. The interventions aim to increase knowledge, improve access through system navigation programs, and increase cultural sensitivity of STBBI services through provider competency training.
Project: Community Engagement, Education & 2SLGBTQ+ Support
Funding: $639,983
Location: Grande Prairie, Alberta
Recipient: Northreach Society
Project Details: This project will address issues of HIV, hepatitis C and other STBBI in the region of Northern Alberta within the key populations of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and youth. The project will work with target audiences, frontline service providers, community organizations, and healthcare professionals.
Project: Anti-Black Racism as Root Cause: ACB Knowledge in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
Funding: $637,500
Location: Edmonton
Recipient: HIV Network of Edmonton Society
Project Details: This project will provide service providers with the tools, skills and support to self-assess their services through and “Anti-Black Racism” lens to help organizations identify and address any practices and/or policies that perpetuate anti-black racism within the programs.
Project: Health Promotion and Primary Prevention for gbMSM
Funding: $623,000
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Recipient: Centre for Sexuality Society
Project Details: This project aims to address the disproportionate impact of HIV, hepatitis C, and other STBBI in the gay, bisexual, and men who have sex with other men communities. The project will strengthen the capacity of this key population to participate in healthy sexual relationships, prevent infections, and improve their health outcomes, while removing structural barriers.
Project: Building Métis cultural responses to HIV and Hep C related Stigma
Funding: $500,000
Location: Red Deer, Alberta
Recipient: Shining Mountains Living Community Services
Project Details: This project aims to decrease the many levels of disease and gender-related stigma (individual, family, community and institutional, including governing bodies and health services) related to Métis people and HIV, hepatitis C and other STBBI. This project will increase the capacity of service providers and enable them to provide culturally appropriate and safe prevention and treatment programs and services through in-person workshops, podcasts, online webinars, and Métis cultural gatherings.
Project: Integrated National HIV Prevention Strategy for ACB People in Canada
Funding: $476,716
Recipients: HIV Network of Edmonton Society ($248,358); Safelink Alberta Society ($248,358)
Project Details: As part of a broader alliance, this project aims to improve access to HIV prevention technologies for sub-populations within African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) communities across Canada through education, community mobilization, increased access to testing, and barrier reduction for linkages to care. The project will focus on the diverse sub-populations of ACB people in Ontario and Alberta.
Project: Rainbow of Care: Culturally Safe STBBI Prevention for LGBTQ Newcomers
Funding: $169,650
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Recipient: End of the Rainbow Foundation
Project Details: This national project implements a peer-support framework to connect LGBTQI+ refugees and newcomers to sexual health services, programs, and wellness initiatives.
Harm Reduction Fund
Through the HRF, a total of 3 projects in Alberta, are receiving $1,552,369 in funding.
Project: Harm Reduction Peer Outreach Project – Southern Alberta
Funding: $747,945
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Recipient: SafeLink Alberta Society (formerly HIV Community Link Society)
Project Details: This project aims to build the reach and capacity of the organization to offer high demand and rapidly growing harm reduction services in the area. The project will employ people who currently or formerly use drugs as harm reduction and peer outreach workers to connect with others in the community to encourage uptake of harm reduction services and risk reduction practices.
Project: Peer N Peer Harm Reduction Program
Funding: $443,979
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Recipient: Queer and Trans Health Collective (formerly Edmonton’s Men’s Health Collective Society)
Project Details: This project engages 2SLGBTQ+ people in Edmonton who use substances, particularly those engaged in sexualized substance use, to prevent the transmission of HIV, hepatitis C, and other STBBIs. The project aims to increase the target population’s skills and abilities to prevent infections and engage in safer sex practices, as well as increase uptake and access to health, social, and support services.
Project: Harm Reduction Community Engagement & Education
Funding: $360,445
Location: Grande Prairie, Alberta
Recipient: Northreach Society
Project Details: This project provides community-based supports to reduce HIV and hepatitis C for people who use drugs in Grande Prairie. The project will provide education regarding safer practices and referrals to services for prevention, testing, and care. The project will also prepare harm reduction kits, including best practice resources, for distribution at community pharmacies.