Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hoists World AIDS Day flag

“Let us pause on World AIDS Day to remember the many people in Canada and around the world who have been lost to HIV/AIDS, and to renew our commitment to eliminating this disease in the years to come," he was quoted as saying.

“Today, and every day, we extend our compassion and kindness to everyone who is affected – not only those we have lost, but also those who are still living, including families,” said Trudeau.

Dec 1 is celebrated as World AIDS Day, a day to pay homage to people who succumbed to this disease and to recognise the global unanimity and resilience towards a world without AIDS, said the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health for Canada Thursday.

The first week of December is also Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week, said Philpott to increase awareness and to create supportive environments of HIV and AIDS among Indigenous peoples.

She cited one in five people in Canada who are HIV positive are unaware of their condition and added that of the 80 percent who are aware, only 76 percent are receiving treatment.

The aim, said Philpott, is to bring those numbers to 90 per cent by 2020.

"One of the realities of the HIV virus is that it is a virus that discriminates. It discriminates against certain populations.” Philpott said.

Trudeau also said in a statement issued on World AIDS Day, “Finally, we all have a responsibility to do what we can to remove stigma and discrimination around HIV -- and we must all challenge any negative attitudes or assumptions towards those living with this condition -- I encourage all Canadians to support efforts to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention through the UN-led #HIVPrevention campaign -- we can bring this global epidemic to an end.”

In Canada aboriginal communities are two and a half times more likely to be infected with HIV than a non-aboriginal counterpart and 54 percent of HIV-positive people are men who have sex with men

Philpott said “for over 30 years as a family doctor, both in Canada and sub-Saharan Africa, I worked to stop the dreadful impact of this infection. Now as Canada's Minister of Health, I am tackling this from a new perspective -- must bring about practical changes.”

She announced Thursday that the government will spend another $3.5 million on AIDS research on top of the $50 million per year Canada currently invests in HIV and AIDS research.

Trudeau also mentioned about the Government of Canada’s pledge of $804 million to international efforts to fight AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis during the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund, which Canada hosted in Montréal earlier this year.

He added, “At home, we are investing in the work of Canadian HIV/AIDS researchers, as well as community-based organizations to prevent new infections and ensure people living with HIV have access to treatment, care and support. We will continue to lead by example and help put an end to this serious, but preventable infection.”

Philpott’s key message on this day was, “End stigma, Know your status, Help us repower #HIVprevention,” and added, “Together we can end AIDS as a public health threat. Let us commit to that today.”

She said that for the first time in Canada, “we estimate that 80% of HIV-infected persons know their status, 76% of those diagnosed are on treatment, and 89% of those on treatment have suppressed viral loads.”

Philpott added that in February 2017, the Public Health Agency of Canada will organize a national conference of Canadian stakeholders and experts “to identify and prioritize concrete actions that will have a significant impact on the rates of STBBIs in Canada”.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj, Image: Justin Trudeau Wikipedia)