August 26, 2026
The Honourable Marjorie Michel, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Health
cc
The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
The Honourable Rechie Valdez, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Women and Gender Equality
Civil Society Organizations Urge Ongoing Support for the Community Action Fund and the Harm Reduction Fund
Dear Minister Michel,
We are writing today on behalf of 96 civil society and community-based service organizations to urge the Government of Canada to maintain the Community Action Fund (CAF) and Harm Reduction Fund (HRF) and to sustain these avenues of funding for health and human rights organizations who are working on critical issues related to HIV, hepatitis C, and harm reduction.
Canada has committed to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of eliminating the HIV epidemic by 2030 and to the World Health Organization (WHO) goal of ending viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. However, according to recent estimates available from the Public Health Agency of Canada, new HIV transmissions increased by 35.2% between 2022 and 2023. In recent years, Canada has seen an overall rise in sexually-transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs), including HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C (HCV), and progress in reducing them has been stagnant at best.
We are off-track with respect to our global health commitments, and any reductions to the Community Action Fund and the Harm Reduction Fund will only exacerbate this reality.
The work required to achieve Canada’s commitments related to HIV and other STBBIs is complex and necessitates a strong and well-resourced community-based sector. Namely, community programming and services provided by civil society organizations play a key role in efforts to end new transmissions of HIV, HCV, and other STBBIs. Not only do they improve access to testing and treatment for populations disproportionately impacted by STBBIs, but they also increase engagement with health services, particularly for rural, remote, or northern communities, and provide ongoing support for communities facing intersecting forms of stigma. These essential programs and services are only possible with the maintenance and strengthening of the CAF and HRF.
The CAF and the HRF are a lifeline for a rights-based and effective HIV response, as well as the response to HCV and other STBBIs. The CAF invests $26.4 million annually to support projects addressing STBBIs; the HRF invests $7 million annually to uphold community-based harm reduction efforts that are crucial for HIV and HCV prevention. The CAF and HRF as funding streams dedicated specifically to the fight against HIV, HCV, and other STBBIs are particularly critical for effective treatment and prevention. Our organizations and the communities we serve depend on the continuation of these funds, and it would be remiss to roll them back in any way at a time where vulnerable populations facing barriers to care need them the most.
We have four years to meet Canada’s 2030 elimination targets. If we are to be at all successful in achieving them, the maintenance and strengthening of the CAF and HRF in Canada’s next funding cycle will be essential.
We urge you to protect these funds and to recognize their importance to the lives of so many people in Canada.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
HIV Legal Network
Toronto, ON
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
Ottawa, ON
Action Hepatitis Canada
Toronto, ON
Action Positive: VIH – SIDA
Toronto, ON
Afro-Canadian Positive Network of BC
Burnaby, BC
AIDS Activist History Project
Ottawa, ON
AIDS Committee Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John’s, NL
AIDS Committee of Durham Region
Oshawa, ON
AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area
North Bay, ON
AIDS Committee of Ottawa
Ottawa, ON
AIDS Community Care Montreal
Montreal, QC
AIDS New Brunswick
Fredericton, NB
All Nations Hope Network
Regina, SK
Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention
Toronto, ON
Asian Community AIDS Services
Toronto, ON
Atlantic Interdisciplinary Research Network on Social and Behaviour Aspects of HIV and HCV (AIRN)
Halifax, NS
Avenue B Harm Reduction Inc.
Saint John, NB
AVI Health and Community Services Society
Victoria, BC
Blood Ties Four Directions Centre
Whitehorse, YT
Bruce House
Ottawa, ON
Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)
Toronto, ON
CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks
Hagersville, ON (Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation)
Canadian AIDS Society
Toronto, ON
Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE)
Toronto, ON
Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR)
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Public Health Association
Ottawa, ON
Casey House
Toronto, ON
CAYR Community Connections
Newmarket, ON
Centre Action Solidarité Montreal
Montreal, QC
Centre Associatif Polyvalent d’Aide Hépatite C (CAPAHC)
Montreal, QC
Centre des R.O.S.É.S. de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Abitibi-Témiscamingue, QC
Centre d’intervention le Rond-Point
Sept-Îles, QC
Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples
Toronto, ON
Coalition des organismes communautaires québécois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA)
Montréal, QC
Community Alliance for Accessible Treatment
Toronto, ON
Community-Based Research Centre
Vancouver, BC
Dr. Peter Centre
Vancouver, BC
Elevate NWO
Thunder Bay, ON
Fife House Foundation
Toronto, ON
GAP-VIES
Montreal, QC
Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance
Toronto, ON
Geipsi
Montreal, QC
Head & Hands
Montreal, QC
Healing Our Nations
Dartmouth, NS
Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia (HEAL NS)
Halifax, NS
Health Initiative for Men (HIM)
Vancouver, BC
High Level Native Friendship Centre Society
High Level, AB
HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
Toronto, ON
IRIS Estrie
Sherbrooke, QC
IUSTI Canada
JusticeTrans
Montreal, QC
La Réplique Estrie
Sherbrooke, QC
L’Anonyme U.I.M.
Montreal, QC
Le Dispensaire
Saint-Jérôme, QC
LGBT YouthLine
Toronto, ON
Maison Plein Coeur
Montreal, QC
Maison Re-Né Inc.
Trois-Rivières, QC
Manitoba HIV-STBBI Collective Impact Network
Winnipeg, MB
McLaren Housing Society of BC
Vancouver, BC
MIELS-Québec
Québec, QC
Moyo Health & Community Services
Brampton, ON
New Dawn Enterprises
Sydney, NS
Ontario AIDS Network
Toronto, ON
OPTIONS HIV West Yellowhead
Hinton, AB
Ottawa Inner City Health
Ottawa, ON
PACE Society
Vancouver, BC
Pacific AIDS Network
Vancouver, BC
PEERS Alliance
Charlottetown, PEI
Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN)
Peterborough, ON
Pivot Legal Society
Vancouver, BC
Positive Health Network
Hamilton, ON
Positive Living Niagara
St. Catharines, ON
Prince George New Hope Society
Prince George, BC
Prisoners with HIV/AIDS Action Support Network (PASAN)
Toronto, ON
Qu’appelle Valley Friendship Centre
Fort Qu’appelle, SK
Quebec HIV/AIDS Portal Inc.
Montreal, QC
Realize Canada
Toronto, ON
REACH Nexus at St. Michael’s Hospital
Toronto, ON
Réseau de la santé sexuelle des sourds du Québec
Montreal, QC
RÉZO
Montreal, QC
Ribbon Community
Vancouver, BC
SafeLink Alberta
Calgary & Medicine Hat, AB
Sex Information & Education Council of Canada
Toronto, ON
Shining Mountains Living Community Services
Red Deer, AB
SIDALYS
Montreal, QC
SIP-DDR
Roberval, QC
Sphère – santé sexuelle globale
Laval, QC
SWAN Vancouver
Vancouver, BC
Table des organismes communautaires Montrealais de lutte contre le sida
Montreal, QC
Tandem Mauricie
Trois-Rivières, QC
The Ally Centre of Cape Breton
Sydney, NS
The Gilbert Centre for Social & Support Services
Barrie, ON
The Native Clan Organization
Winnipeg, MB
Thrive HIV Prevention and Support
Kitchener, ON
Toronto People With AIDS Foundation
Toronto, ON
Toxic-Actions
Dolbeau-Mistassini, QC
Women and HIV/AIDS Initiative
Toronto, ON