VANCOUVER, Oct. 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In response to a letter from the Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) Dr. Julio Montaner, all federal political parties – except the Conservative government – pledged their support of a global target to end AIDS by 2030. On September 22, Dr. Julio Montaner wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which was also sent to all leaders of the Canadian federal parties, calling on the federal government to formally endorse the United Nations HIV/AIDS strategy. The 90-90-90 Target, created by UNAIDS, is based on the made in BC concept of Treatment as Prevention (TasP) pioneered by Dr. Montaner.
In a letter to Dr. Montaner dated October 8, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Justin Trudeau announced his support for the adoption of the global plan to end AIDS, and called on Canada to make a commitment on the world stage. “Should the Liberal Party of Canada form the next government, we are dedicated to taking aggressive action to combat both the disease, as well as the unfortunate stigma that continues to surround it,” wrote Trudeau.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has posted a petition on the party’s website calling for nationwide implementation of TasP. The NDP Party, through Victoria NDP candidate Murray Rankin, said the government “needs to work with the provinces to adopt the targets domestically.
The Conservative government said that, while it “has been supportive of the principles behind” the 90-90-90 Target, it “cannot lose sight of the continued importance of primary prevention.” The current federal government has focused largely on vaccine development and behavioural changes in its approach to HIV and AIDS prevention.
The TasP strategy emphasizes early testing and full and universal access to effective, lifesaving antiretroviral therapy upon HIV diagnosis. It serves as the foundation of the UN’s plan to end AIDS by 2030 by expanding HIV testing and treatment. Recent international clinical trials have added to confirming evidence that early treatment is effective in improving health outcomes for those with HIV, and decreasing spread of the disease. In September of this year, the World Health Organization updated its HIV treatment guidelines, calling for all those diagnosed to be given immediate antiretroviral treatment (something BC has been doing since 2006).
Within Canada, BC is the only province to implement TasP and the only one to see a consistent decline in new HIV cases. Meanwhile alarming spikes in the epidemic have been seen in provinces such as Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and even the capital city of Canada, Ottawa. Across the country, treatment coverage remains uneven and a recent study found 48% of Canadians living with HIV started treatment late, when their immune systems had already been compromised.