Treatment access barriers and related best practices for newcomers living with HIV and/or HCV

 Minority groups, including newcomers, are disproportionately affected by HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) due to social and economic factors that increase their vulnerability to infection (1;2).  Newcomers living with HIV or HCV not only face barriers to treatment, they also face unique challenges which may include language barriers, lack of social support, stigma and systemic barriers such as lack of health care coverage (1;3-10).  Despite facing many barriers to care, newcomers may experience better treatment outcomes than their Canadian-born counterparts (3-5;7;9).  Practice guidelines are recommended to improve treatment access for newcomers living with HIV or HCV (10-12).