Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, speaks at the Manitoba legislature in Winnipeg on March 30, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
WINNIPEG — Manitoba has declared a public health emergency in response to a dramatic rise in HIV cases that has left the province with some of the highest infection rates in the country.
Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, made the announcement Thursday during a news conference.
New HIV cases in Manitoba climbed from 90 in 2019 to 328 in 2025. In 2024, the province reported 19.5 cases per 100,000 people — more than three-and-a-half times the national rate of 5.5 per 100,000.
Roussin says rates are highest in the Prairie Mountain Health and Northern Health regions, though the largest number of diagnoses occur in Winnipeg. Indigenous peoples continue to be disproportionately affected, as do people living in rural and remote areas.
In Manitoba, HIV is most commonly spread through injection drug use and unprotected heterosexual sex, and is closely associated with homelessness, mental health challenges, substance use, and socio-economic inequality.
In response, Manitoba Health is launching an HIV Response Steering Committee to implement recommendations developed at a December 2025 gathering of governments, Indigenous leaders, community organizations, and health experts.
The committee will include Indigenous and community members and will focus on prevention efforts, including expanded use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), enhanced testing, improved connection to care, and targeted supports for the communities most affected.
Watch Thursday’s news conference:
