Partnerships and Community
Gilead is dedicated to developing innovative medicines for life-threatening illnesses – and we recognize that it takes more than medicine to address challenges people and communities face.
That’s why we work with organizations around the world to launch programs that help improve access to care by eliminating barriers and advancing education.
Gilead Canada is committed to collaborative partnerships with governments, community, academia and healthcare providers to address Canada’s biggest health challenges.
Partnering for Equity in Healthcare
Healthcare inequities continue to challenge Canada’s universal healthcare system, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, and rural populations. In May 2024, Gilead Sciences Canada hosted a Partnering for Equity in Healthcare event, bringing together patients, advocates, healthcare professionals, journalists and policymakers to identify the systemic barriers within public health as it relates to virology, and oncology—particularly in HIV and breast cancer care. Discussions underscored the need for inclusive decision-making and data-driven policies to drive meaningful change. To extend these critical conversations beyond the event, our summary report outlines key areas of inequity and proposes actionable strategies to foster a more equitable healthcare system.
GLOW Indigenous Health Grant
At Gilead Sciences Canada, we recognize the health inequalities faced by Indigenous communities, often characterized by higher rates of HIV and viral hepatitis. These disparities primarily stem from the enduring historical and contemporary impact of colonization.1,2,3,4
We understand that self-determination is crucial in addressing these challenges. That's why we've embarked on a meaningful collaboration with the organization Communities, Alliances & Networks (CAAN). Our journey began in April 2022 with a partnership ceremony led by CAAN Elder in Residence, Betty McKenna. Since then, we've become close collaborators, drawing from both organizations’ wisdom and expertise to address important community needs.
Together, we've defined our shared mission: to drive Indigenous-led solutions that combat the rising rates of HIV and viral hepatitis and promote health equity for Indigenous communities. Our joint efforts have produced the GLOW (Guiding Local Opportunities for Wellbeing) Indigenous Health Grant—a three-year commitment aimed at enhancing the health outcomes of Indigenous communities affected by or at risk of HIV and viral hepatitis.
This initiative is part of Gilead Sciences' global commitment to health equity for Indigenous communities, pledging $6M USD in funding over three years in Australia and Canada.
Learn more about our program at caan.ca/glow.
1 Health Canada. HIV in Canada: 2020 Surveillance Highlights. 2021
2 Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. CAAN UNDRIP Action Plan. March 2023.
3 Popovic, N., Williams, A., Périnet, S., Campeau, L., Yang, Q., Zhang, F., Yan, P., Feld, J., Janjua, N., Klein, M., Krajden, M., Wong, W., & Cox, J. (2022). National hepatitis C estimates: Incidence, prevalence, undiagnosed proportion and treatment, Canada, 2019. Canada Communicable Disease Report, 48(11/12), 540–549. https://doi.org/10.14745/ccdr.v48i1112a07
4 Dunn, K. P., Williams, K. P., Egan, C. E., Potestio, M. L., & Lee, S. S. (2022). Echo+: Improving access to hepatitis C care within indigenous communities in Alberta, Canada. Canadian Liver Journal, 5(2), 113–123. https://doi.org/10.3138/canlivj-2021-0027
What We Heard – A 2023 Government, Community, and HCP Round Table Report
Canada is experiencing an HIV/AIDS crisis, as infection rates continue to rise. Immediate and decisive action is needed. In 2016, the Government of Canada signed onto the UNAIDS goals of ‘no new infections by 2030’, however, to achieve this important goal - collaboration is needed. Simply put, no one can do this alone. To better understand what needs to be done to reach Canada’s 2030 HIV/AIDS targets, Gilead Sciences Canada organized and participated in multiple roundtables which led to this ‘What We Heard’ Report. The report reflects the discussion from two 2023 roundtables between government, community, and healthcare providers, and is intended to help guide actions of governments and stakeholders in addressing the challenges of HIV/AIDS in Canada.
Gilead Sciences Canada wishes to thank all those representatives involved for their valuable contribution to this report and in helping Canada achieve this goal.