{"id":26257,"date":"2026-08-26T10:56:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T14:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/?post_type=publication22&p=26257"},"modified":"2026-08-26T10:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T14:56:18","slug":"civil-society-organizations-urge-ongoing-support-for-the-community-action-fund-and-the-harm-reduction-fund","status":"publish","type":"publication22","link":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/civil-society-organizations-urge-ongoing-support-for-the-community-action-fund-and-the-harm-reduction-fund\/","title":{"rendered":"Civil Society Organizations Urge Ongoing Support for the Community Action Fund and the Harm Reduction Fund"},"content":{"rendered":"August 26, 2026<\/p>\n

The Honourable Marjorie Michel, P.C., M.P.
\nMinister of Health<\/span><\/p>\n

cc<\/p>\n

The Right Honourable Mark Carney, P.C., M.P.
\nPrime Minister of Canada<\/p>\n

The Honourable Rechie Valdez, P.C., M.P.
\nMinister of Women and Gender Equality<\/p>\n

Civil Society Organizations Urge Ongoing Support for the Community Action Fund and the Harm Reduction Fund<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Minister Michel,<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The work required to achieve Canada\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/em> 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 <\/em>at a time where vulnerable populations facing barriers to care need them the most.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have four years to meet Canada\u2019s 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\u2019s next funding cycle will be essential.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We urge you to protect these funds and to recognize their importance to the lives of so many people in Canada.<\/p>\n

Thank you for your consideration.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n

HIV Legal Network
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
\n<\/strong>Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

Action Hepatitis Canada
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Action Positive: VIH – SIDA
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Afro-Canadian Positive Network of BC
\n<\/strong>Burnaby, BC<\/p>\n

AIDS Activist History Project
\n<\/strong>Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

AIDS Committee Newfoundland and Labrador
\n<\/strong>St. John’s, NL<\/p>\n

AIDS Committee of Durham Region
\n<\/strong>Oshawa, ON<\/p>\n

AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area
\n<\/strong>North Bay, ON<\/p>\n

AIDS Committee of Ottawa
\n<\/strong>Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

AIDS Community Care Montreal
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

AIDS New Brunswick
\n<\/strong>Fredericton, NB<\/p>\n

All Nations Hope Network
\n<\/strong>Regina, SK<\/p>\n

Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Asian Community AIDS Services
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Atlantic Interdisciplinary Research Network on Social and Behaviour Aspects of HIV and HCV (AIRN)
\n<\/strong>Halifax, NS<\/p>\n

Avenue B Harm Reduction Inc.
\n<\/strong>Saint John, NB<\/p>\n

AVI Health and Community Services Society
\n<\/strong>Victoria, BC<\/p>\n

Blood Ties Four Directions Centre
\n<\/strong>Whitehorse, YT<\/p>\n

Bruce House
\n<\/strong>Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks
\n<\/strong>Hagersville, ON (Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation)<\/p>\n

Canadian AIDS Society
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE)
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR)
\n<\/strong>Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

Canadian Public Health Association
\n<\/strong>Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

Casey House
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

CAYR Community Connections
\n<\/strong>Newmarket, ON<\/p>\n

Centre Action Solidarit\u00e9 Montreal
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Centre Associatif Polyvalent d’Aide H\u00e9patite C (CAPAHC)
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Centre des R.O.S.\u00c9.S. de l’Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue
\n<\/strong>Abitibi-T\u00e9miscamingue, QC<\/p>\n

Centre d’intervention le Rond-Point
\n<\/strong>Sept-\u00celes, QC<\/p>\n

Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Coalition des organismes communautaires qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois de lutte contre le sida (COCQ-SIDA)
\n<\/strong>Montr\u00e9al, QC<\/span><\/p>\n

Community Alliance for Accessible Treatment
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Community-Based Research Centre
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

Dr. Peter Centre
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

Elevate NWO
\n<\/strong>Thunder Bay, ON<\/p>\n

Fife House Foundation
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

GAP-VIES
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Geipsi
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Head & Hands
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Healing Our Nations
\n<\/strong>Dartmouth, NS<\/p>\n

Health Equity Alliance of Nova Scotia (HEAL NS)
\n<\/strong>Halifax, NS<\/p>\n

Health Initiative for Men (HIM)
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

High Level Native Friendship Centre Society
\n<\/strong>High Level, AB<\/p>\n

HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

IRIS Estrie
\n<\/strong>Sherbrooke, QC<\/p>\n

IUSTI Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n

JusticeTrans
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

La R\u00e9plique Estrie
\n<\/strong>Sherbrooke, QC<\/p>\n

L’Anonyme U.I.M.
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Le Dispensaire
\n<\/strong>Saint-J\u00e9r\u00f4me, QC<\/p>\n

LGBT YouthLine
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Maison Plein Coeur
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Maison Re-N\u00e9 Inc.
\n<\/strong>Trois-Rivi\u00e8res, QC<\/p>\n

Manitoba HIV-STBBI Collective Impact Network
\n<\/strong>Winnipeg, MB<\/p>\n

McLaren Housing Society of BC
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

MIELS-Qu\u00e9bec
\n<\/strong>Qu\u00e9bec, QC<\/p>\n

Moyo Health & Community Services
\n<\/strong>Brampton, ON\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

New Dawn Enterprises
\n<\/strong>Sydney, NS<\/p>\n

Ontario AIDS Network
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

OPTIONS HIV West Yellowhead
\n<\/strong>Hinton, AB<\/p>\n

Ottawa Inner City Health
\n<\/strong>Ottawa, ON<\/p>\n

PACE Society
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

Pacific AIDS Network
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

PEERS Alliance
\n<\/strong>Charlottetown, PEI<\/p>\n

Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN)
\n<\/strong>Peterborough, ON<\/span><\/p>\n

Pivot Legal Society
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

Positive Health Network
\n<\/strong>Hamilton, ON<\/p>\n

Positive Living Niagara
\n<\/strong>St. Catharines, ON<\/p>\n

Prince George New Hope Society
\n<\/strong>Prince George, BC<\/p>\n

Prisoners with HIV\/AIDS Action Support Network (PASAN)
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Qu’appelle Valley Friendship Centre
\n<\/strong>Fort Qu’appelle, SK<\/p>\n

Quebec HIV\/AIDS Portal Inc.
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Realize Canada
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

REACH Nexus at St. Michael’s Hospital
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

R\u00e9seau de la sant\u00e9 sexuelle des sourds du Qu\u00e9bec
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

R\u00c9ZO
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Ribbon Community
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

SafeLink Alberta
\n<\/strong>Calgary & Medicine Hat, AB<\/p>\n

Sex Information & Education Council of Canada
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Shining Mountains Living Community Services
\n<\/strong>Red Deer, AB<\/p>\n

SIDALYS
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

SIP-DDR
\n<\/strong>Roberval, QC<\/p>\n

Sph\u00e8re – sant\u00e9 sexuelle globale
\n<\/strong>Laval, QC<\/p>\n

SWAN Vancouver
\n<\/strong>Vancouver, BC<\/p>\n

Table des organismes communautaires Montrealais de lutte contre le sida
\n<\/strong>Montreal, QC<\/p>\n

Tandem Mauricie
\n<\/strong>Trois-Rivi\u00e8res, QC<\/p>\n

The Ally Centre of Cape Breton
\n<\/strong>Sydney, NS<\/p>\n

The Gilbert Centre for Social & Support Services
\n<\/strong>Barrie, ON<\/p>\n

The Native Clan Organization
\n<\/strong>Winnipeg, MB<\/p>\n

Thrive HIV Prevention and Support
\n<\/strong>Kitchener, ON<\/p>\n

Toronto People With AIDS Foundation
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Toxic-Actions
\n<\/strong>Dolbeau-Mistassini, QC<\/p>\n

Women and HIV\/AIDS Initiative
\n<\/strong>Toronto, ON","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"publication_topics":[],"publication_type":[],"publication_language":[],"class_list":["post-26257","publication22","type-publication22","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication22\/26257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication22"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/publication22"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication22\/26257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26258,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication22\/26257\/revisions\/26258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"publication_topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication_topics?post=26257"},{"taxonomy":"publication_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication_type?post=26257"},{"taxonomy":"publication_language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hivlegalnetwork.ca\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication_language?post=26257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}