In Saskatchewan, struggles to stem highest HIV rate in Canada increasingly urgent as cases rise across country

A woman in Saskatoon was recently admitted to hospital with severe complications related to HIV. She was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening viral infection, called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, that was eating away at her brain’s white matter.The patient was homeless and struggling with substance use. She was also experiencing active psychosis and paralysis on the left side of her body. Despite her complex medical condition, she was discharged in the middle of the night to a shelter with no open beds. She ended up wandering the streets with no shoes and no jacket in the extreme cold.