CAHR wants to hear from you!
With a membership of more than 1,000 researchers and others interested in HIV research, the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) is the leading organization of HIV/AIDS researchers in Canada. CAHR fosters collaboration and co-operation among HIV research communities, including basic, clinical, social sciences, epidemiology and public health and community-based research. Over the past few months, CAHR has stood in solidarity with the many organizations and researchers decrying the news about cuts to the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health.
Sadly, global humanitarian and research efforts have ground to a halt. The ability of Canadian researchers to collaborate in global health research has been curtailed due to the cancellations of research grants and the ruination of the foundational underpinnings in countries in need. Far more devastating is the impact of the cuts on marginalized communities such as sex workers, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and trans people and women, and people at the intersection of these identities.
This is all taking place during a time where ground-breaking treatment and prevention options exist for those living with and those at risk of HIV, and where tremendous advances in the field of HIV research are taking place. However, without fair and equitable access to these prevention and treatment strategies, and without sustained research support, their benefits to the world are rapidly eroding.
Faced with this reality, the time to invest in Canadian health research is now.
We need your help to build a strong case to the Government of Canada. As such, CAHR is seeking impact stories from Canadian researchers and Canadians living with HIV whose work and lives have been disrupted by these funding cuts.
We invite you to submit an impact statement to CAHR, which will be used in a letter to the new Minister of Health in Canada. Impact statements should be short (1-2 sentences), impactful, and where possible, include data to support your statement. Should you wish, you may also provide a longer “impact story”. Contributions that are included in any letter will be shared anonymously.
The deadline to receive your submission is Friday, June 6, 2025.
While HIV research is at the centre of CAHR’s mission, we hope that this effort will support the fundamental human rights of those who are disproportionately affected by these funding cuts. Your contributions will play an important role in this endeavour.
Thank you for your consideration, your time, and your contributions to our efforts.
Sincerely,
CAHR Board of Directors
