In yet another landmark announcement made during the AIDS 2014 conference, the Queensland Government has revealed they are joining forces with leading international experts from Canada to build their efforts to end HIV.
The Australian first will see a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Queensland Health Department, HIV Foundation Queensland (HIVFQ) and the British Columbia Centre for Excellence (BC-CfE) in a combined effort to reduce transmission of HIV in Queensland.
The MoU was signed this morning by Queensland Health Minister Lawrence Springborg, HIVFQ chair Dr Darren Russell and BC-CfE Director Dr Julio Montaner at the 20th International AIDS Conferecne in Melbourne.
It will see the development of a partnership to enable a HIV treatment as prevention (TASP) strategy to be delivered in Queensland.
This particular strategy also allows for HIV antiretroviral therapy to be offered immediately to people living with HIV who are eligible and want to commence treatment.
“Getting people onto HIV treatment early also decreases HIV transmission and new cases of HIV,” Dr Russell said.
“As part of the strategy, we are committed to achieving increased treatment uptake. We are aiming for 90 per cent of people living with HIV to be on treatment.
“The foundation is also really keen to work with partners and key stakeholders to promote the TASP strategy in Queensland to ensure we achieve the best possible outcomes.”
David Alexander
Star Observer
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