MAP scientist Dr. Sean Rourke spoke with the Canadian Press about the AIDS Committee of Toronto’s decision to close after 42 years amid soaring cases of HIV in Canada.
“Everybody should have a door that they can open for their care and support and treatment,” he said.
Dr. Rourke has spearheaded projects to change the way people across Canada access HIV testing.
MAP’s Navigator program pairs hospital patients who are homeless with an outreach counsellor—a “Navigator.” The Navigator gets to know the patient and connects them with the health and social support they need to break cycles of homelessness and poor health, and to move forward in securing housing that works for them.
Navigators April Aleman and Fred Ellerington, along with project lead Dr. Stephen Hwang, spoke with the Canadian Press about how the program came to be and what their day-to-day can look like.
The program started at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and thanks to the Even the Odds partnership with Staples Canada, has expanded to St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, increasing the program’s reach to over 1000 patients served to date. The program will be launching at the University of Montreal Hospital Centre later this year.
Donovan Vincent, Public Editor for the Toronto Star spoke with MAP scientist Dr. Dan Werb as part of this op-ed on following the opioid toxicity crisis in Toronto. The article also explains the role of MAP’s Drug Checking Service, led by Karen McDonald, and the role it plays in monitoring the makeup of street drugs in the city.
Dr. Dan Werb spoke with CBC News about the reasons that could be behind the recent 17 per cent decrease in opioid overdose deaths in Canada. He notes that despite the decline, opioid toxicity still killed over 7000 people in the past year, highlighting the need for a regulated drug supply.
MAP’s Dan Werb and Hayley Thompson spoke with the Toronto Star about the recently observed decline in opioid overdose deaths in Toronto. The trend is believed to be the result of decreased potency in the supply of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Dr. Werb notes that while the relative reduction in fentanyl potency is encouraging, the volatility of the unregulated drug supply means “that could change in a minute”.
