HIV on the Rise

“HIV does not respect borders. We have seen an increase in the number of HIV cases in British Columbia, and more than two-thirds of those cases are cases that come into the province with HIV from other jurisdictions.”
– Dr. Julio Montaner, executive director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS,

Two troubling trends are converging in the rise in HIV cases here in BC and abroad.

In one corner: Rising HIV Incidence in B.C. & Canada at Large
At the BC Centre for Excellence’s national HIV summit (June 6, 2025), experts sounded the alarm on a 35 % jump in HIV cases in Canada from 2022 to 2023, with rates continuing upward in 2024 and 2025. They emphasized that cuts in global HIV funding—particularly U.S. support through PEPFAR and USAID—are threatening domestic progress, jeopardizing Prevention-as-Treatment (TasP®) and PrEP strategies.

In the other corner: U.S. Aid Destruction: Millions in HIV Drugs & Contraceptives Left to Waste

Reports indicate USAID stockpiled roughly $12 million worth of HIV‑prevention drugs and contraceptives destined for developing countries—but under a recent executive order, they’ve been stranded in U.S. warehouses since January 2025. With expiration dates looming, these vital supplies risk being sold off or destroyed. Former USAID leadership is urging the administration to release or donate rather than destroy—warning that bureaucratic paralysis now threatens hundreds of thousands of lives.

Why These Trends Connect — and Why You Should Care
1. Lost U.S. donations means fewer drugs reaching communities in need internationally—and a lost opportunity to repurpose that stock locally or support Canada.
2. Rising HIV in Canada is a wake-up call: even with progressive domestic policies, we’re vulnerable—especially when global systems falter.
3. Global solidarity matters: U.S. aid cuts ripple globally; local healthcare programs rely on international collaboration to fill gaps.

This is a time when we need to work together.

Read more here on B.C. experts sound the alarm over rising number of HIV cases: https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-experts-alarm-rising-hiv

Read more at Trump administration to destroy vital HIV meds and contraceptives worth $12 million following closure of USAID: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/trump-admin-set-to-destroy-vital-hiv-meds-and-contraceptives-worth-12-million-following-closure-of-usaid/articleshow/121786727.cms?from=mdr