Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: HIV rates spike among Indigenous people in Manitoba, an Aboriginal woman in Australia unveils a plan for gender justice, and a Māori nursing program celebrates three decades in New Zealand
CANADA: HIV cases blamed on ‘racisim’ in Manitoba
Advocates are blaming “systemic anti-Indigenous racism” for a surge in HIV infections among Indigenous people in Manitoba, Canada, APTN News reported on May 11.
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The Manitoba HIV Program Report reveals that the province’s rate of new HIV cases is three times higher than the national average, with nearly 75 percent of those referred to the program self-identifying as Indigenous, APTN reported.
HIV is a virus transmitted through bodily fluids, excluding saliva, that targets the immune system. Left untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS-related illnesses, which have caused about 40 million deaths since its discovery in the early 1980s.
Advocates have called upon the provincial government of Manitoba to address the surge, stressing the importance of implementing effective measures to decrease transmission rates.
“We need to get the message out there,” said Albert McLeod, director for 2Spirit Consultants of Manitoba, according to APTN News. “We’re a first-world country, we have tons of money, and yet what’s been given around safe injection, harm reduction, and HIV is a drop in the bucket.”
McLeod blamed the spike on “systemic anti-Indigenous racism” and said Manitoba needed a provincial-wide strategy for addressing HIV and sexually transmitted and blood borne infections, known as STBBIs.
Between 2018 and 2021, the number of people with HIV rose by 52 percent, with self-identified Indigenous people increasing from 51 percent to more tham 73 percent. Based on the report findings, the primary modes of HIV transmission were heterosexual sex and injection of drugs.
Thomas Linner, provincial director for the Manitoba Health Coalition, said the HIV-spike is a “public health emergency.”
“More than one person a day dies from an overdose in Manitoba,” Linner said. “Just about every day another person is identified as being HIV positive. We need to take real concrete actions to address this public health emergency, and the game-playing by this government has to stop.”
AUSTRALIA: New plans for ‘gender justice’
The Australian National University is working to open a dedicated First Nations Gender Justice Institute to address, National Indigenous Television reported on May 12.
The initiative, under the guidance of June Oscar AO, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission, follows the recent Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit, which took place in the nation’s capital in mid-May and is named for the Bunuba phrase meaning “women’s voices.”
The institute will be part of a National Strategy for Action also in the works at the university.
“It’s the first time in this country that we will have a dedicated, independent, autonomous, First Nations Gender Justice Institute that will include research conducted in communities driven by First Nations women and their partners on the issues that matter,” Oscar told NITV News.
“These two new initiatives – the framework and the institute – will play a vital role in ensuring the interests and aspirations of First Nations women and girls are put front and center as we move forward toward a better future in this country.”
The summit brought together First Nations women and girls from all corners of the country to focus on designing the structure and function of the framework and institute.
NEW ZEALAND: Māori nursing program celebrates 30 years
Wintec Te Pūkenga in Kirikiriroa celebrated 30 years of its groundbreaking Māori nursing program, Tihei Mauri Ora, on International Nurses Day on May 12, Te Ao Maori News reported on May 13.
Wintec Te Pūkenga, in Hamilton, New Zealand, is an educational institution that helps Māori students, and more recently, Pasifika students, complete the nursing program, Te Ao Māori News reported.
The program places a strong emphasis on Māori health, customs, and protocols striving for excellence that reflects the values of Māori culture.
The initiative was first brought to life by teachers Becky Fox and Rewi Panapa, when the institute was known as Waikato Polytechnic, and has continued to grow.
My final thoughts
My thoughts are in Manitoba, Canada, where HIV cases have surged among Indigenous people. It is so sad.
The increase in HIV cases has raised alarm among advocates, who recognize the potential for further negative impacts on public health, particularly among marginalized and vulnerable populations. They emphasize the need for prompt and comprehensive intervention to prevent the situation from escalating.
By executing efficient measures to decrease transmission rates, Manitoba can work toward enhancing the health and well-being of its residents and preventing further spread of HIV within the province. We cannot allow racism in health services, as we shouldn’t in all other sectors of our lives.
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