MANITOBA PATHWAYS PROJECT

Region

Manitoba Region

A REACH Funded Initiative

Initiative Leads

Nine Circles Community Health Centre, Manitoba Harm Reduction Network

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Primary target audience

Indigenous communities

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Primary target audience

Indigenous communities

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Initiative Summary

The purpose of this initiative is to build the foundation for innovations in HIV and STBBIs testing, linkage and care in rural and remote areas of Manitoba. This is a developmental project, funded for one year, that uses a number of promising emerging practices.

Initiative Objectives and Goals

There is a strong desire to support innovative testing and linkage to care strategies in rural and remote communities. This project is bringing Indigenous and Non-Indigenous partners together in a two-eyed seeing way for the development of a peer navigator program, an event-based testing toolkit toolkit that is now available for download, and to introduce innovative testing methodologies to support increased testing and linkage to care for rural, remote and First Nations communities in Manitoba.

The Role of this Initiative to End the HIV Epidemic

Through this project we are building important relationships with the Manitoba First Nations AIDS Awareness Working Group. The mandate of the group is to aim to prevent the transmission and spread of HIV/AIDS among First Nations people of Manitoba and to establish linkages with existing First Nations training and educational institutions to facilitate the incorporation of HIV/AIDS programs into their health curriculum and activities. Additional key partners to the project include Manitoba Harm Reduction Network and the Manitoba Association of Community Health.

Meaningful Engagement with People with Lived Experience

We hosted a gathering with Manitoba First Nations AIDS Awareness health leaders and representatives of FNHSSM, Tribal council, Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, REACH and Wuniska to discuss barriers and facilitators facing First Nation communities in Manitoba.

Results

This project led to the development of the Manitoba Community Event-Based STBBI Testing Toolkit. By working together with the Manitoba HIV/STBBI CollectiveImpact Network Testing and Linkage Committee and other Winnipeg and Manitoba-based practitioners and policy makers in a two-eyed seeing way on the development of the event-based testing guide and the peer navigators program, we are working toward better testing, care and outcomes for First Nations people living with HIV in Manitoba.

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