Human rights, public health and COVID-19 in Canada.

Faced with the extraordinary global public health crisis of COVID-19, governments across Canada must decide, often with limited and imperfect evidence, how to implement measures to reduce its spread. Drawing on a health and human rights framework, this commentary explores several features of the Canadian response to date that raise human rights concerns. Our discussion focuses on criminal law, fines, data collection, and so-called snitch lines. We argue that the approach of governmental and public health authorities must be grounded in the best available scientific evidence and align with human rights standards. Our aim is to encourage dialogue within the public health community in Canada about the importance of human rights-based responses to COVID-19.

RéSUMé: Face à la crise de santé publique sans précédent que représente la COVID-19 à l'échelle mondiale, les gouvernements des provinces et territoires du Canada doivent décider, souvent en se fondant sur des preuves limitées et imparfaites, comment mettre en œuvre des mesures pour réduire sa propagation. En s'appuyant sur un cadre de travail relatif à la santé et aux droits de la personne, cette analyse explore plusieurs éléments de la réponse canadienne apportée à ce jour qui soulèvent des préoccupations en matière de droits de la personne. Notre analyse porte en particulier sur le droit criminel, les amendes, la collecte de données et ce qu'on appelle les « lignes de dénonciation ¼. Nous estimons que l'approche des autorités gouvernementales et de santé publique doit être fondée sur les preuves scientifiques disponibles les plus solides et s'aligner sur les normes en matière de droits de la personne. Nous avons pour objectif d'encourager le dialogue au sein de la communauté du secteur de la santé publique au Canada sur l'importance des réponses à la COVID-19 fondées sur les droits de la personne.

Ending overly broad HIV criminalization: Canadian scientists and clinicians stand for justice.

In Canada, people living with HIV who do not disclose their HIV status prior to sexual acts risk prosecution for aggravated sexual assault even if they have sex with a condom or while having a low (or undetectable) viral load, they had no intent to transmit HIV, and no transmission occurred. In 2013, six distinguished Canadian HIV scientists and clinicians took ground-breaking action to advance justice by co-authoring the "Canadian consensus statement on HIV and its transmission in the context of the criminal law." This effort was born out of the belief that the application of criminal law to HIV non-disclosure was being driven by a poor appreciation of the science of HIV. More than 75 HIV scientists and clinicians Canada-wide have now endorsed the statement, agreeing that "[they] have a professional and ethical responsibility to assist those in the criminal justice system to understand and interpret current medical and scientific evidence regarding HIV." As some 61 countries have adopted laws that specifically allow for HIV criminalization, and prosecutions for HIV non-disclosure, exposure and transmission have been reported in at least 49 countries, the authors hope that others around the world will take similar action.

Supervised injection sites in Quebec: one step closer to reality.

Thanks to the efforts of community groups CACTUS Montréal and Point de repères, two supervised injection sites could soon be opening in Montréal and Québec City.

Phylogenetic analysis alone cannot prove source of HIV infection: experts.

According to a recent report from the United States of America published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists could prove with certainty which person was the source of an HIV infection. However, international experts have disputed the claim.

Africa: sexual minorities at risk.

Violence against homosexuality is growing in Africa, where most of the countries on the continent continue to criminalize same-sex relations, fostering a climate of hate that, in some cases, is abetted by politicians.

Quebec: employer who disclosed employee's HIV-positive status violated rights to dignity and freedom from discrimination.

The Quebec human rights tribunal held that an employer who disclosed the HIV-positive status of an employee to his staff violated the employee's right to the safeguard of his dignity, without distinction or exclusion based on disability, contrary to Sections 4 and 10 of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms (the Quebec Charter).

Criminalizing HIV transmission or exposure: the context of francophone West and Central Africa.

Nations throughout the world are increasingly criminalizing HIV transmission or exposure. This trend, already very familiar to high-income countries such as Canada, the United States of America and some European nations, takes on a special meaning in Africa, where several national HIV/AIDS laws make HIV transmission or exposure a crime.

British Columbia project seeks to improve access to HIV treatment and care among hard-to-reach populations.

A four-year, $48 million pilot program called "Seek and Treat" was recently launched by the government of British Columbia to improve access to treatment and care among hard-to-reach communities, including sex workers, injecting drug users and aboriginal people. The project will operate in Prince George and in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Multi-million dollar AIDS vaccine project cancelled.

Two years after calling for applications, the Government of Canada and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation decided not to proceed with a planned $88 million project to build an HIV vaccine plant, raising questions about what was behind the move.

Surveys in Quebec reveal workplace discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS.

Two recent surveys reveal that people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) continue to suffer discrimination in the workplace from both colleagues and employers. Findings from the surveys, which were commissioned by the Coalition des organismes communautaires Québecois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA), were released in November 2009.

Historic trauma contributes to high rates of hepatitis C among Aboriginal youth: study.

A recent study conducted of Aboriginal youth in British Columbia suggests that trauma associated with the residential schools system increases the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among those who inject drugs. The study also warns of a larger epidemic of HCV in the northern area of the province.