CAAN continues to support World AIDS Day on December 1st of each year and launches a week-long national public awareness campaign across the land called Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week (IAAW).
This national campaign is guided by a steering committee that consists of national Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners and reflects the collaborative efforts in recognizing HIV/AIDS in Indigenous populations. The event consists of themed activities and events that are hosted in community and focus on specific target groups such as women, youth, people who are incarcerated, Two-Spirit people, Inuit, Metis and Indigenous Leadership.
Why We Started IAAW
Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week is an opportunity to:
Increase awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS.
Establish ongoing prevention and education programs in Indigenous communities.
Address common attitudes that may interfere with prevention, care and treatment activities.
Reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.
Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week Activities – Just a Beginning
Every year, between December 1 and December 7, you have an opportunity to begin a dialogue about HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) among people in your community – especially among the young men and women who may be at greatest risk of infection.
It is an ideal time to begin to raise knowledge about HIV – what the virus is, how it is spread, the importance of knowing how to prevent infection and regular testing, and how the virus is best treated. Or perhaps it is an ideal time for your community to remember your friends, family and community members who may have lost their brave struggle against HIV and died as a result of (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) or AIDS-related illnesses.
Or perhaps it is an ideal time to sit with community Elders and leaders to begin the necessary dialogue about what is needed to educate your community’s young people or how best to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, or how to best support and care for Indigenous People Living with HIV/AIDS (IPHA) from your community.
But remember, the activities which you may have started during Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week need to continue throughout the year whenever there is an opportunity to raise awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS.
We cannot pretend HIV doesn’t exist in our communities – it does!
Every First Nation, Inuit and Métis community is affected by HIV/AIDS. Knowledge and awareness about HIV/AIDS is one way to address and respond to the fear, shame and stigma that contributes to each new infection. It is important to raise awareness about this preventable disease and for all Indigenous people to have the knowledge to make a difference and be leaders in their own communities.
Indigenous AIDS Awareness Day 2024
Check out our Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week and World AIDS Day social media tool kit! Save an image and copy the caption to your clipboard to use on your channel to help spread awareness. Use the hashtags to join the conversation across the country. Check back daily for new items coming soon.
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Indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. We can make progress towards health equity through land-based teachings and community-based programs. Let’s take action to end the HIV epidemic. #IAAW #U=U #Knowyourstatus
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The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Getting HIV tested is free and anonymous in Canada! Together we can be able to make HIV test kits available to all communites! #IAAW #KnowyourStatus #U=U
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Early dignoses and getting treatment leads to Undetectable and Untransmittable. Let’s get medical care and treatment to all! #IAAW #U=U #Knowyourstatus
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Today is World AIDS Day. Together we end the HIV/AIDS stigma and advance access to care and resources in Indigenous communities. #IAAW #U=U #KnowyourStatus
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Today begins Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week, a time to remember the people we lost due to HIV/AIDS. Today, we will take a moment to remember them and honour them by raising awareness in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. #IAAW #U=U #Knowyourstatus