Report of the Director of Public Health 2010 : Rapport du directeur de santé publique 2010 : joindre plus, dépister plus, traiter plus : les infections transmissibles sexuellement et par le sang

In Montréal, like in the rest of the province, sharing injection equipment is the main cause, despite gains such as the reduction of incidence of HIV infection (from 6 to 3 people per 100 yearly) and the decline in the proportion of persons who inject drugs who share their needles (from almost 50% In 2007, one in four IDU had in 1995 to 27% in 2007). [...] As for hepatitis C, the highest rates are in Asia and Africa, in parts of the world where use of non-sterile injection equipment for care delivery is frequent, and in regions where needle sharing to inject drugs is common. [...] They are in a better position to review outreach practices and strategies in light of the new context described earlier and marked by the following issues: movement of some vulnerable groups from the downtown core to adjacent boroughs; severed contacts and increased difficulty to reach them; fewer visits to community services; and multiplication and diversity of venues that facilitate sexual encou [...] Given the responsibility of CSSS to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable groups and their privileged relationship with community organizations in the promotion of screening, it is clear that we must jointly develop these services, which have indeed proven to be effective. [...] This continuum implies networks and the integration of services to ensure rapid access to assessment and treatment for persons who inject drugs and MSM through collaboration of professionals and respect for each individual’s skills.