Vancouver — British Columbia has made remarkable progress in reducing HIV transmission and researchers now believe the province is closer than ever to achieving sustained control of new infections.
To support this next stage, Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) is funding a new project that employs advanced genomic and artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tools to better understand how transmission patterns are changing in new HIV diagnoses in BC. Announced on World AIDS Day, this initiative will help public health teams identify the source of new infections and decide what focused actions can help prevent further spread, bringing BC one step closer to ending HIV transmission for good.
HIV Transmission Patterns Are Changing
Although BC continues to report over 100 new HIV diagnoses annually, the proportion attributed to local transmission has declined substantially. Many new cases are not connected to established local clusters, which, along with other evidence, suggests they are frequently associated with inter-provincial and international transmission. As HIV transmission becomes more interconnected across provinces and borders, public health teams need novel, modern tools that improve understanding of these patterns and support more precise prevention strategies.
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Applying Genomics, Phylogenetics, AI and Machine Learning to Improve Tracing
The new project, funded through Genome BC’s Genesolve program, builds on previous work co-funded by Genome Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Led by Dr. Jeffrey Joy of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the University of British Columbia, the team will apply advanced genomic and computational approaches to better map HIV transmission patterns and support improved understanding within public health systems. By combining viral genomics, phylogenetics (which examines how viruses are related), AI and machine learning, the project will develop new tools to improve understanding of where new infections may be originating and which populations are most affected.
“This project will allow us to develop new analytic and genomic tools that can strengthen HIV public health responses and help address some of the most difficult remaining challenges in BC and across Canada,” said Dr. Jeffrey Joy. “With global HIV prevention resources declining, this investment is both timely and critical. By providing clearer insight into how and where HIV continues to spread, the work will support more equitable care by helping ensure vulnerable communities are identified earlier and connected to treatment that improves health outcomes and reduces onward transmission.”