HIV rate more than just a healthcare issue
HIV diagnosis rates are rising in both Saskatchewan and Prince Albert, but while front-line workers are concerned, they said there are reasons to be optimistic as well.
According to the Government of Saskatchewan, the provincial HIV rate in 2015 was roughly 14 per 100,000 people, a dramatic increase from the previous year’s rate of 9.8 per 100,000. Saskatchewan’s rate has been higher than the Canada-wide rate since 2006, and was 2.4 times the national rate in 2015. Most of the new cases originated in in Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert. Men represented 62.5 per cent of new cases and roughly 75 per cent of the newly-diagnosed patients self-identified as Aboriginal.
Steven Mah, who manages Access Place in Prince Albert, said he regularly works with clients who are HIV positive. Mah said part of the reason why there have been more confirmed HIV cases recently is the health region’s ongoing campaign to increase testing rates.
“Since 2007 our testing numbers have dramatically increased to roughly 70 per cent,” Mah said. “That’s part of why you will see more new incident rates.”