HIV in Canada-surveillance report, 2019

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a significant global health concern.
• HIV has been a notifiable disease in Canada since 1985.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) actively monitors new HIV diagnoses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present an epidemiological overview of reported HIV cases in Canada for 2019.
• To analyze 10-year trends in HIV diagnoses from 2010 to 2019.
• To include data on HIV diagnoses through Immigration Medical Exams (IME) and perinatal transmission.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the HIV/AIDS Surveillance System, a passive, case-based data collection system.
• Conducted descriptive analyses on national HIV data.
• Incorporated data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canadian Perinatal HIV Surveillance Program.

Main Results:

• In 2019, Canada reported 2,122 new HIV diagnoses (5.6 per 100,000 population).
• Saskatchewan had the highest provincial diagnosis rate (16.9 per 100,000).
• Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) accounted for the highest proportion of adult cases with known exposure (39.7%), followed by heterosexual contact (28.3%) and people who inject drugs (PWID, 21.5%).

Conclusions:

• HIV diagnoses in Canada have remained relatively stable over the past decade.
• gbMSM and PWID populations continue to represent a significant proportion of new HIV diagnoses.
• Ongoing surveillance is crucial for meeting pan-Canadian goals to reduce the impact of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections by 2030.