“Red tape is no excuse,” advocates for free HIV prevention have told the NWT Health Minister.
Julie Green said she supports making PrEP more widely available but cannot make “immediate changes” while a wider review of the health benefits in the territory takes place.
In a press release Monday, campaigner Will Gagnon highlighted that an online petition supporting free access to PrEP in the territory has already received more than 20,000 signatures worldwide.
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PrEP, a pill taken once a day, is reportedly 99 percent effective at preventing infection if you are later exposed to HIV. The pill is fully funded by the governments of Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Without insurance, it can cost up to $300 a month.
“The Northwest Territories has one of the highest rates of syphilis in Canada right now – and syphilis has a syndemic relationship with HIV, meaning one makes the other more likely,” reads Monday’s press release.
“The government of the Northwest Territories, especially Minister Green, must do everything possible to protect the health and well-being of its citizens. Public funding of HIV PrEP is part of that.”
In a previous interview with Cabin Radio, Green said that while he’s “looking forward to offering” PrEP to more people, “we’re not doing it on your schedule.”
On Monday, advocates released a video message “to let the minister know that HIV has no timetable.”
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Last week, the NWT Government published an update on the health benefits review process, which the minister said needed to move forward before changes could be made to PrEP.
“It is the intention that the new extended health benefits policy will be drafted and submitted for Cabinet consideration by spring 2023, with the aim of having the new policy fully implemented by 1 April 2024,” the territory’s website states.
The Department of Health and Human Services said Monday it had no further comment on PrEP.
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