From the Public Health Agency of Canada
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an important contributor to the global burden of disease and continues to be a major public health issue. In 2010, HIV was the leading cause of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide for people in the 30–44 year age group, and the fifth leading cause for all ages Footnote 1. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Footnote 2 estimated that there were 36.9 million people living with HIV at the end of 2017 globally and as of June 2017, 21.7 million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) Footnote 2Footnote 3. In the absence of a cure for HIV infection, ART has been effective in controlling the infection and minimizing transmission, thus ensuring that people living with HIV, including pregnant women and key populations at risk, can lead healthy and productive lives.
The objective of this report is to provide a descriptive overview of the epidemiology of all reported diagnoses of HIV in Canada, up to the end of 2017, by province/territory, sex, age group, exposure category and race/ethnicity. Data on immigration medical screening results for HIV, as well as the number of infants perinatally exposed to HIV and the proportion of these infants receiving ART, are also presented.