Advocates call for Ontario to make HIV prevention drugs free as cases climb [Video]

On World AIDS Day, advocates are calling on the province to make drugs that can prevent the transmission of HIV free for all Ontarians, as recent data shows an uptick in cases in Canada. 

In 2023, there were 2,434 new diagnoses of HIV in Canada — a 35 per cent increase compared to the year before, according to Statistics Canada data. 

That’s on top of a 22 per cent increase between 2021 and 2022, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. 

The increase in cases shows HIV is still a reality in Canada despite the decline in public awareness of the disease, said Dr. Kevin Woodward, executive director of HQ Toronto, a health hub offering STI and HIV testing. 

“When I was growing up, it was …