Drive For Change Project

African, Caribbean and Black communities living with HIV in Canada are disproportionately affected by racism, discrimination and HIV stigma. Barriers to health services include those related to im/migration and being newcomers to Canada; socioeconomic barriers; heightened policing; surveillance and violence; social and structural racism and discrimination; and HIV stigma. Given that HIV care and treatment is managed at a provincial level, it remains critical to understand the unique experiences of racism, discrimination and HIV stigma of African, Caribbean and Black people living with HIV in British Columbia.

The three-year (2022-2025) Drive for Change (DFC) project is guided by a community-based Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, whereby the research question comes from the community, and will produce findings that can support the community to take action to effect change.

Through DFC, our team will work with the community to create a report, alongside other knowledge translation and exchange materials and documents, to bring to light racism, discrimination and HIV stigma experienced by African, Caribbean and Black people living with HIV in the health system; this will include recommendations for systemic changes. We will also create culturally appropriate resources to describe a peer navigation program to support African, Caribbean and Black people living with HIV on their journeys within the health system. These resources might include a toolkit and comprehensive training guide tailored for the African, Caribbean and Black community.

Building on ongoing community partnerships for almost a decade, Ms. Patience Magagula (Executive Director, Afro-Canadian Positive Network of BC [ACPNet]) approached the Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity (CGSHE) researchers to share research priorities. Through a series of consultations between UBC researchers and members of the ACPNet community, the following research/project objectives were identified.