Category: Advocacy, Policy, Public Health

Launching Canada’s World Sexual Health Day Website

  from the Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity As CGSHE we are excited to announce that we have partnered with the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) to launch the World Sexual Health Day -Canada platform: www.worldsexualhealthday.ca. Since 2010, the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) has been calling organizations, communities and individuals… Read more »

International Overdose Awareness Day  has been running for almost 20 years and is a global event held on 31st August, aiming to raise awareness of overdose and reduce the stigma of a drug-related death. It also acknowledges the grief felt by families and friends remembering those who have died or had a permanent injury as… Read more »

Supervised consumption sites and services are an integral part of the Government of Canada’s response to the opioid overdose crisis. Since 2017, supervised consumption sites located across Canada have received almost 2.2 million visits, reversed nearly 17,400 overdoses without a single death at a site, and made approximately 84,400 referrals to health and social services…. Read more »

Thanks to leadership from REACH Nexus (CIHR Centre for REACH in HIV/AIDS), we are imminently expecting Health Canada’s approval for Canada’s first HIV self test. This builds off previous changes made in September 2019 making Biolytical’s INSTI HIV POC more accessible for use by non-healthcare providers. In order to support implementation REACH Nexus has launched… Read more »

The following statement was issued jointly by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (“Legal Network”), the Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA), and the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO). TORONTO, August 7, 2020 — This week, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in R. v N.G., a… Read more »

via the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Last month, the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform — of which the Legal Network is a member — wrote to David Lametti, the federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General, urging him to issue a directive to stop federal Crown Attorneys from prosecuting sex work offences. Unfortunately,… Read more »

Substance Use News July 2020

Substance Use News provides a snapshot of news and resources for those working to support folks who use substances. We share pieces on the social, medical and political responses to the opioid crisis, from advocacy to welcome change. With the added layer of the coronoavirus/COVID-19 public health constraints, those working in harm reduction have heightened… Read more »

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the San’yas: Indigenous Cultural Training Program offered by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)[1]. The purpose of this training is to “develop skills and promote positive partnerships between service providers and Indigenous people”[2]. The training is primarily catered to and accessible to health practitioners and/or service providers… Read more »

  Our province has moved into Phase 3 of the COVID-19 restart plan, and there is no doubt that BC has done a good job of “flattening the curve” – thanks to the leadership of our public health officials (including PHO Dr. Bonnie Henry), and the work of health care workers, and countless others including… Read more »

Data matters. In light of the reports of inequitable data collection related to COVID-19 and the advocacy efforts to record data disaggregated by race, we need to think about what such data can tell us and why it is important. First, the requirements for equitable data collection are complex. Data collection is just one area… Read more »

Substance Use News: June 2020

Substance Use News provides a snapshot of news and resources for those working to support folks who use substances. We share pieces on the social, medical and political responses to the opioid crisis, from advocacy to welcome change. With the added layer of the coronoavirus/COVID-19 public health constraints, those working in harm reduction have heightened… Read more »