But Will Canada Get into the Game?
Thanks to a game-changing new drug, the race to end HIV and AIDS might finally be approaching the finish line. And the longer Canada warms the bench, the more our chance to lead slips away.
Lenacapavir is a long-acting HIV treatment developed, funded, and approved in the U.S. earlier this year. It was recently granted to the Global Fund to bring to vulnerable communities all over the world. It has almost 100% efficacy at preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS, and is the first ever drug with the potential to functionally cure patients living with this disease.
But more investments are still needed to see the drug reach everyone who needs it, to finally put an end to this epidemic.
By proudly investing in the Global Fund’s initiatives, Canada can step up as a leader and turn this medical discovery into a historic victory. But that opportunity won’t last forever.
Hope is rising, but this isn’t the end of the fight. Lenacapavir has the potential to end HIV and AIDS once and for all, but only if we all work together.
What is this miracle drug?
For decades, the AIDS epidemic posed significant challenges in vulnerable communities. The disease was largely considered incurable, and patients had to commit to a lifetime of daily treatment regimens that were expensive, stigmatized, and for many patients, inaccessible altogether.
Then enters Lenacapavir: a twice-yearly vaccine that is injecting new hope into the fight to end AIDS. That’s right! Just twice-a-year. That solves so many of the access challenges daily treatments presented! But only if we can get it to the communities who need it most, sooner rather than later.
Rollout is currently on its way in countries supported by the Global Fund with the highest vulnerability to HIV and AIDS. Their current goal is to see at least one African country receive their first shipment by the end of this year.
In sub-saharan Africa, which contains some of the highest rates of HIV and AIDS, Lenacapavir will make a particularly big difference. Take South Africa, for example, where a disproportionate number of young women and girls are living with HIV. This drug will offer them long-lasting treatment that is far more discrete, accessible, and effective than what is currently available.
And the impacts of Lenacapavir will reach far beyond just physical health. Freeing patients, especially women and girls, from a lifetime of stigma and symptom management means opening new opportunities for them to go to school, dream bigger in their careers, and lead thriving lives. By slowing the spread of HIV and AIDS, this drug can also make entire communities safer, economies stronger, and health systems more efficient.
It’s not just medicine, it’s hope for the future. Lenacapavir can mark a turning point for many African countries’ overall economic health and leadership potential.
The Call for Canada
Hope is rising, but this isn’t the end of the fight. Lenacapavir has the potential to end HIV and AIDS once and for all, but only if we all work together.
The Global Fund still needs more investment from the world’s wealthiest to bring this lifesaving medicine to every community that needs it, and we’re still waiting on Canada to pitch in.
Canada has a long-standing legacy as a leader in the global health space. And within Canada, we have made real progress in treating and preventing HIV and AIDS. But our brothers and sisters around the world are still fighting on the front lines of this epidemic. It’s not over for them, so it’s not over for us.
Our government’s own platform recognizes our “proud tradition of supporting the most vulnerable in times of crisis.” This is a historic opportunity to continue that streak, and be remembered as the partner that helped end AIDS everywhere, for everyone.
The clock has run out on Canada’s hesitation. This fight won’t be won from the sidelines. Secretary of State Rubio announced that the USA will fund 2 million treatments. Will Canada match that investment? It’s time for PM Carney to back the Global Fund and show the world our commitment to global health means nobody gets left behind. Put us in, coach!
