SASKATOON – Representatives are gathering in Saskatoon for the first annual Prairies HIV Conference prior to the 2012 HIV/AIDS statistical report being released.
The conference’s theme this year is ‘Culture and the Continuum of HIV Care’ and concludes Tuesday at the Travel Lodge. Two days of presentations and interactive workshops will focus on interventions, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
In Saskatchewan, there were 177 new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) cases in 2012, a five per cent decrease over the previous year.
The number of HIV tests performed has gone up 23 per cent since 2009.
The provincial government is crediting its HIV strategy, the health sector and community collaboration for helping reduce new cases.
“The fact that one person is on treatment and has an undetectable viral load it lowers the risk of transmitting disease to their partner by a factor of 60 per cent, so it is powerful,” said Dr. Johnmark Opondo, medical health officer with the HIV Provincial Leadership Team.
Thomas Piller
Global BC
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