Our Priority Areas

Despite a declaration of a public health emergency in 2016, over 11,000 people have died from the toxic drug poisoning crisis in BC alone – averaging six deaths per day – deaths that were, and are, preventable.

We’re raising funds to advance concrete soutions to the toxic drug poisioning crisis. Gifts to the Reducing Harms Priority will support projects that address putting an end to the toxic drug poisioning crisis in BC, and that save lives.

Our Harm Reduction Program supports peers working in community, harm reduction strategies, overdose response programs and priorities, and public education and advocacy around stigma, substance use, and evidence-based solutions.

A gift to this program will be directed to the most pressing solution as indicated by our harm reduction experts in community.

Test, Link, Call (TLC) is an innovative outreach and peer support program focused on increasing access to testing and treatment for hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis B (HBV), and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among people who experience criminalization due to incarceration, substance use, or being unstably housed. TLC provides real-world solutions to the current global health threats of HBV/HCV and HIV, which are associated with significant mortality rates worldwide.

TLC participants are given a cell phone with a 6-month pre-paid plan, and access to a peer navigator (person with lived experience) who provides support on how to access care and treatment. A phone is a key tool, and a huge barrier, for participants because accessing services is difficult—if not impossible—without a phone. Peer support helps to create a community of trust and fosters engagement with additional support for substance use, mental health, and other barriers associated with social and cultural determinants.

TLC is a living example of providing equitable healthcare options that serve the people who most need them, at a grassroots community level. During the project trial, which focused initially on HCV alone, the team saw an uptake among participants that was twice higher than the current HCV continuum of care in BC, with an 81% treatment uptake amongst the population.

Now, more than ever, projects like TLC need investment. Your donation will enhance lives, foster positive social change, and help to advance equitable solutions for underserved populations across BC.