1. Connecting with Care – Ahtahkakoop

In Ahtahkakoop, it is a half-hour drive to get groceries and an hour to the nearest hospital. There is no public transport. But distance isn’t the only challenge for people in Ahtahkakoop when it comes to accessing health care. Racism and stigma are ongoing challenges for Indigenous people in Canada, as a result of 150 years of racial subjugation. To reach the goal of global HCV elimination, communities like Ahtahkakoop cannot be ignored. We need innovative models of HCV care that take into consideration the localised challenges that stop people from getting tested and treated. Connecting with Care is an advocacy campaign created by the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU). In Ahtahkakoop, an indigenous community located in the northern Canadian province of Saskatchewan, the ‘Know Your Status’ project started with HIV testing, after it was discovered that Ahtahkakoop had an infection rate 7x higher than the national average. The project aimed to create a stigma-free, culturally-connected space for people to receive confidential testing services.  The project expanded to include HCV, and in just 3 years successfully treated 488 people. Through moving, real-life stories of people positively impacted by the project, the film profiles the successful strategies that lead to these results: Bringing treatment as close to home as possible; Ensuring people don’t need to travel long distances; Staff are from the local community; Always being ready for a catch-up even if it’s not directly related to treatment; Incorporating spiritual, emotional and cultural facets.

By:

• Brooke Nolan - INHSU
• Conor Ashleigh – independent Visual Storyteller