The number of new cases of HIV in the province has decreased slightly since a new strategy was initiated in the spring of 2010.

Saskatchewan's Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Moira McKinnon, says each HIV positive person is assigned a case worker to help with the whole spectrum of care, from housing to treatment.

One message they are trying to relay is that testing positive doesn't mean a life sentence anymore, in hopes of more people coming forward that might be afraid to get tested.

McKinnon says the average number of new cases of HIV each year was 200, but last year it decreased to 179, and that's with 10 to 15 per cent more testing.

Also, since beginning the case management approach, there has been no transmission of HIV to babies being born.

The four pillars of the province's strategy are clinical management, surveillance, harm reduction, and community engagement.

(ct may23/12)