Category: Advocacy, Policy, Public Health

World AIDS Day and Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week; Honouring Leadership, Community, and the Work Ahead 

Posted On: Monday, December 1st, 2025

December 1st marks both World AIDS Day (WAD) and the start of Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week, offering an important moment to reflect on progress, renew commitments, and honour the communities and leaders who continue driving BC’s HIV response forward. At the heart of PAN’s work is a commitment to centring community knowledge, particularly the leadership and… Read more »

Webinar: Tailoring sexual health information for newcomers in Canada

Posted On: Thursday, November 20th, 2025

Thursday, December 4th 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Pacific time Newcomers to Canada often face barriers in accessing culturally relevant sexual health information. This webinar will highlight innovative approaches from organizations leading efforts to address these gaps. The Sex Information & Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN) will share findings from their “Sexual Health Promotion… Read more »

Beyond the Headlines: Human Rights and BC’s Toxic Drug Crisis with former BC Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe and BC CMHA CEO Jonny Morris

Posted On: Thursday, November 20th, 2025

Via BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner Each year on December 10th, to mark the signing of the UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948), BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner seeks to bring awareness to human rights issues in BC. This year, BC’s Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender invites you to participate in… Read more »

Substance Use News, November 2025

Posted On: Tuesday, November 18th, 2025

Substance Use News provides a monthly collection of news and resources on the social, medical and political responses to the toxic drug supply crisis and harm reduction. To get the latest toxic drug safety alerts, visit Info for People Who Use Substances page from Toward the Heart. Get weekly substance use news by subscribing to our newsletter: scroll… Read more »

It’s World Hepatitis and International Testing Week!

Posted On: Friday, November 14th, 2025

November 17, 2025 marks the start of the World Hepatitis Alliance’s World Hepatitis Testing Week. This week also happens to be International Testing Week in Canada coordinated by CoCQ-SIDA in Quebec. Both organizations offer promotional tools and invite you to take part by organizing activities related to testing.   In British Columbia, the growing burden… Read more »

Supporting TB Care in First Nations, Inuit and Northern Communities

Posted On: Wednesday, November 5th, 2025

Webinar Tuesday, November 25th, 2025 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM Pacific time Join PHAC and the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases for a webinar discussing the social realities of TB and the importance of a culturally responsive approach to TB care. The first hour of the webinar will focus on TB in First Nations… Read more »

World AIDS Day and Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week 2025

Posted On: Monday, November 3rd, 2025

 The initial World AIDS Day in 1988 marked the first ever global health day. The tradition continues, and this World AIDS Day, there are several elements of HIV community work that are being highlighted. The UNAIDS theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response. PAN and allies have been working on this,… Read more »

Research/Community Event Opportunity for Migrant Women Living with HIV in Vancouver

Posted On: Monday, November 3rd, 2025

You are invited to attend an in-person community gathering and session on co-creating recommendations and calls-to-action to improve the health of migrant, refugee, and newcomer women living with HIV. This event is being organized in collaboration with the Afro-Canadian Positive Network of BC, Ribbon Community, and researchers at the University of British Columbia (PI: Dr. Eli… Read more »

Substance Use News October 2025

Posted On: Monday, October 27th, 2025

Substance Use News provides a monthly collection of news and resources on the social, medical and political responses to the toxic drug supply crisis and harm reduction. To get the latest toxic drug safety alerts, visit Info for People Who Use Substances page from Toward the Heart. Get weekly substance use news by subscribing to our newsletter: scroll… Read more »

Emergency Treatment Fund: Call for Proposals 2025

Posted On: Thursday, October 16th, 2025

  Via Health Canada Through this 2025 national call for proposals (CFP), Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) will provide time-limited contribution funding to municipalities and Indigenous communities across Canada. The ETF can fund projects that address urgent and immediate needs related to substance use and overdose, as defined by the communities, to support local… Read more »

HIV Legal Network and Canadian Drug Policy Coalition need your input

Posted On: Wednesday, October 15th, 2025

Since mid-2024, we have been waiting for the federal government to create a new Regulation under the CDSA governing these exemptions. The stated goal in 2024 was to help streamline and simplify the exemption process. Since then, however, several services have shut down and the process for being granted exemptions/renewals under the CDSA has been… Read more »

Update: Letter Urges Canada to take action on HIV Domestically and Internationally

Posted On: Wednesday, October 15th, 2025

Updated: October 28, 2025 To date LetsStopAIDS has over 95 endorsers including 65+ Canadian organizations from coast to coast. This cross-country collaboration demonstrates how HIV advocates can work together and we should continue to do so moving forward. This morning a group of community leaders, advocates, and researchers had a productive meeting with the office… Read more »