New HIV cases in northern B.C. show no sign of slowing down, according to Northern Health's latest figures.
The number of patients diagnosed with HIV increased in the region by 27 in 2009, up from the 2008 figure of 24 new cases, but down from the previous years, of 28 new cases in 2007, 29 new cases in 2006 and 28 new cases in 2005.
There were just nine cases in 1998 and by 2003 the count had soared to 21.
The outcome has left William Osei, Northern Health's medical health officer for the northern interior region, feeling that progress has been made since the figures are leveling off.
"But we do not want to sit on our laurels," he added. "We have to continue working."
The plan is to continue a campaign of education, to spread the word about how to prevent spread of the infection, and harm reduction, notably the distribution of clean needles to injection drugs users.
HIV, otherwise known as human immunodeficiency virus, is the precursor to AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
Northern Health offers free testing for HIV and whenever a new case is reported, the patient's contacts are also screened. The patient is also given advice on how to prevent the virus's spread.
It's a criminal offence for a person carrying HIV to not let a sexual partner know, Osei said.
Perhaps most notable, the number of new cases in the aboriginal population has declined, to 13 in 2009 from 14 in 2008, 16 in 2007 and 22 on 2006.
In 1998, there were five new cases diagnosed among aboriginals in the Northern Health region.
Roughly 60 per cent of male aboriginals in northern B.C. who've contracted the virus use injection drugs compared to 40 per cent for the province as a whole, Osei noted.
"The drug use is a bigger issue for us than in the rest of the province we do have issues," he said. "We are making progress but we are not there yet and we should not relax."
Contracting HIV is no longer the certain death sentence it was 20 years ago in that treatment and antiviral drugs can postpone the transformation into AIDS for several years if not prevent it altogether.
In 2008, the after-hours wellness van that tours the most drug-affected areas of Prince George, gave out 35,084 needles and took in 30,470 used needles. The needle exchange clinic at the corner of Third Avenue and George Street gave out 17,896 needles and collected 12,934 in the last quarter of 2008 alone.
Figures for 2009 and 2010 were not available by press time.
