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WORLD AIDS DAY 2025

The Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) honours people living with HIV, remembers those we have lost, and recognizes the communities, peer workers, and organizations that continue to lead the response in Ontario. HIV is not just a health issue; it is a mirror of whose lives are valued, whose rights are protected, and whose voices are heard. The epidemic in Ontario continues to disproportionately affect African, Caribbean and Black communities, Indigenous Peoples, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, people who use drugs, women, trans and non-binary people, migrants, sex workers, and people in prisons or institutional settings. These inequities are rooted in racism, colonialism, homophobia,

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Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week (IAAW) 2025

The Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) stands in solidarity with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples and with Two-Spirit, trans, and gender-diverse community members during Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week (IAAW), observed each year beginning on World AIDS Day. This week is a time to honour Indigenous leadership, recognize the strength and resilience of communities, and reaffirm our shared commitment to ending HIV-related stigma and discrimination. We acknowledge the ongoing impacts of colonialism, systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, and inequitable access to healthcare, all of which contribute to disproportionate HIV outcomes for Indigenous Peoples. These experiences reflect longstanding failures in health and social

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OAN Interim Executive Director

The OAN is happy to announce that Gilles Charette has been appointed as the OAN’s Interim Executive Director. Gilles brings with him a blend of experience and passion. Gilles has served as Director of The Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance for the past 18 months. Previously, He spent almost twelve years at Trellis HIV & Community Care in Southeastern Ontario. Gilles also has a background in corporate training, having designed onboarding and leadership programs that are both substantive and stylish. Committed to equity and doing his part to build a kinder world, Gilles is all about celebrating and honouring lived

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Black History Month 2026

This Black History Month, the Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) honours the histories, leadership, and resilience of Black communities across Ontario. We recognize the vital contributions of African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) people, especially people living with HIV, peer leaders, frontline workers, and advocates, who continue to shape a stronger and more just HIV response. We also name what must change. Anti-Black racism and systemic inequities continue to impact access to HIV prevention, testing, treatment, and support. In Ontario, ACB people represented 29.8% of first-time HIV diagnoses in 2022, according to provincial data. Research also shows that these disproportionate impacts are

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2026 African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

On February 7, the Ontario AIDS Network (OAN) recognizes African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This is a moment to acknowledge the disproportionate impact of HIV on Black communities and to continue the efforts in the response, and an opportunity to elevate Black-led HIV work and to recommit to equity, diversity and inclusion across Ontario’s HIV response. Ontario surveillance data show that in 2023, people who reported their race and ethnicity as Black accounted for 37.8% of first-time HIV diagnoses where race and ethnicity were reported. Race and ethnicity data are still missing for many diagnoses, with an

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HIV is Not a Crime (HINAC) Day 2026

On Saturday, February 28, we observe International HIV Is Not A Crime (HINAC) Day. Launched in the United States in 2022, HINAC Day brings people together to stand in unity against the harms and violence of HIV criminalization. Since 2024, HINAC Day has been formally acknowledged in Canada. Today, and every day, the Ontario AIDS Network stands in solidarity with people living with HIV across Canada and around the world who continue to face stigma, discrimination, and unjust criminalization. We recognize and honour the brave advocacy of those who speak out to demand justice, dignity, and human rights.

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International Women’s Day 2026

Every year on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the strength, leadership, and contributions of women across our communities. At the Ontario AIDS Network, it is also a moment to recognize the women who have shaped, and continue to shape, the HIV response. This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” reminds us that when we invest our knowledge, care, and advocacy in one another, our communities grow stronger and more equitable. When women lead, mentor, support, and uplift each other, the impact ripples across generations and movements. Women have always been central to this movement. From the earliest days

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