For 19 years, the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life has been changing lives. Through the Walk, Canadian communities raise funds that stay in their communities, allowing them to support those living with HIV and AIDS, prevent the transmission of HIV, and end the discrimination and stigma surrounding this incurable illness.
But the Walk doesn’t just provide funds. When hundreds of people stroll through the streets of Edmonton, people take notice. Thanks to the Walk, we increase public awareness of the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS each year.
WHY CARE?
One person in Canada is infected with HIV/AIDS approximately every 2 hours.
An estimated 4,000 Albertans are currently afflicted with HIV and AIDS, including an estimated 2,000 within the Edmonton area.
The rate of new HIV infections in Alberta is highest among 30 to 39 year olds. In 2008, the rate of infection in this age category was 16 per 100,000 Albertans aged 30–39.
Estimates indicate that 27% of people in Canada with HIV don’t know they are infected and may continue to spread the disease.
