Gordon Campbell honoured for commitment to HIV and AIDS research
Premier’s personal and financial support leads to key advances
Speaking to an appreciative audience at the Fall 2010 HIV/Antiretroviral (ARV) Update, hosted by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), Premier Gordon Campbell lauded the benefits of expanding HIV treatment and thanked hundreds of people in attendance for leading the fight against HIV and AIDS.
Premier Campbell told the researchers, healthcare professionals, doctors and community members gathered in the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel on December 3 that saving lives and improving health are the core reasons behind his support for Seek and Treat, a $48-million, four-year pilot program to expand highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Prince George and Vancouver’s inner city.
“I believe that this is a life-saving treatment that will be used in jurisdictions around the world in the years ahead,” said Campbell.
“It will increase access to HIV testing and help link patients to community-based support services, which are critically important in terms of the quality of life and the health of the individuals we’re seeking to serve. And it will save hundreds of millions of dollars in averted health care costs.”
Campbell said that he and his colleagues in the B.C. government are grateful for the BC-CfE’s treatment advances and the work done by community members helping those with HIV and AIDS.
“Let me say a big thank you to all of you who are part of the leading edge of our fight against HIV/AIDS, who work day-in and day-out,” said Campbell.
“I can tell you the voices that we hear from across the province, and the voices we hear from around the world, are saying that British Columbia is on the leading edge of dealing with this issue. We all take great pride in what you’re doing.”
Dr. Julio Montaner, Director, BC-CfE, thanked the Premier for his important role in funding and personally supporting the BC-CfE and many of the advances in treatment that have been achieved so far.
“If it were not for the Premier’s support over the last decade, we would not be in the position that we are, so he deserves a lot of credit for knowing how to listen and ultimately how to lead,” said Dr. Montaner.
Dr. Montaner noted a list of new initiatives undertaken in the province and supported by the Province of B.C.: enhanced new testing guidelines, implementation steps to support the Seek and Treat pilot, and expansion of a 1-800 line to help physicians, primary care providers and other caregivers access support and services. He also noted the Premier’s leadership on health, finances, Aboriginal relations and climate change.
Dr. Montaner presented the Premier with a gift that emphasized the BC-CfE’s appreciation for the Premier’s personal and financial support in the fight against HIV and AIDS – an iconic Tiko Kerr painting of St. Paul’s Hospital.