By Angela Hill

Aboriginal people to play central role in HIV research

Sep 27, 2013 | 5:49 PM

Aboriginal people need to play a bigger role into HIV research, as they are the most affected by the current epidemic.

This belief, by the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN), lead to the creation of Wise Practices IV Aboriginal Community-based Research Gathering held in Saskatoon this week.

“The reason why we chose Saskatoon and in particular Saskatchewan is because we realized the epidemic among Aboriginal people is the highest in Saskatchewan and therefore it was extremely important for us to come…share the research we are doing,” said Art Zoccole, chair of CAAN.

There is more research and more research funding for Aboriginal people than there was even 10 years ago, he said.

It's important to use the principals of ownership, control, access and position with the information, as well as engaging the HIV positive community, Zoccole said.

Event Centre funding

City may hire lobbyist for event centre money

10h ago

International honours

Raiders' Kubiesa to represent Czechia at IIHF U18 Men's World Championship

13h ago

Learn the signs

How often should you change your brakes?

17h ago

“It's important to hear their contribution, their experiences and that's where the solutions are going to come from.”

Having a conference to discuss research is important for All Nations Hope AIDS Network, an organization based in Regina.

Organization CEO Margaret Poitras said the conference inspires them to move forward and make partners.

“We don't have that capacity yet in the Aboriginal community to reach fully on our own. We need those partnerships with academics, with funding groups,” she said.

“I'm happy that the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network brought the only conference that's focusing on HIV in aboriginals in Canada, in the world, is here in Saskatoon.”

Among those in attendance was representation from Indigenous groups and HIV researchers from Bolivia, Australia and New Zealand.

James Ward is the deputy director of the Baker IDI Research Institute in Alice Springs, Australia, where he studies HIV, STI and other blood-borne pathogens in the Aboriginal populations.

He said he came to this conference to understand the epidemic here in Canada and find best practices to address the increasing injection-drug use and sexually-transmitted infections in the communities he works with.

“We're in a very good position in Australia where we have built the workforce now and hopefully we don't get to the point where Canada has got to with its Aboriginal people,” Ward said.

The next step to do this is to build a research workforce in the Aboriginal community.

He said when people are studied, the information is taken and written into technical documents, but when people are researching their own people, own communities, they will translate the information back to the community, where it can make a difference and influence policy.

Ward, along with New Zealand Indigenous researcher, Clive Aspin, and others from the International Indigenous Working Group on HIV and AIDS are gearing up for the International AIDS Conference 2014, set to be held in Melbourne.

“If we can bring to the attention of international organizations that HIV is a problem right around the world for indigenous people, than I think we'll make significant strides in terms of bringing about a difference,” said Aspin.

The hope is that ingenious people will have a visible presence throughout the conference.

“We would like to see lots of Indigenous people in our conferences next year … we'll look after you in good Australian style,” Ward said.

ahill@rawlco.com

Follow on Twitter: @Angelaislost