A redesign of PHSA-held community contracts was initiated in 2014 to better enable the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre to respond to current trends in the HIV and HCV epidemics, and to better align the strategic direction with the Ministry of Health’s Hope To Health Framework, the Provincial Health Officer’s report on prevention for gay and bisexual men, and coverage for new HCV treatment across the province.
After extensive community and key-stakeholder consultation, a competitive process was launched in February 2016. The RFP process is now complete and the BCCDC and BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre have contracted various community-based organizations to provide HIV and HCV services across the province.
The agencies that have been awarded funding are:
- Pivot Legal Society (Provincial advocacy, policy and stigma reduction program)
- Positive Living BC, Pacific Hepatitis C Network (Provincial peer network)
- Positive Women’s Network (Services for women)
- YouthCo HIV and Hep C Society (Services for children and youth)
- Pacific AIDS Network (Provincial HIV & HCV capacity building network)
- Community-based Research Centre for Gay Men’s Health (Prevention for key populations)
Evaluation committee members were impressed with the value of service goals that agencies put forward in their proposals. PHSA is confident that contracted agencies will be successful in achieving these goals, and would like to thank all agencies who submitted proposals and congratulate the successful proponents. Please see attached infographic for more information.