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In the 30 years since its inception in 1992, the advancements made by the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) have transformed HIV from a rapidly fatal disease, to a chronic and manageable illness that is highly, and easily, preventable. By helping shape local and global policy with its Treatment as Prevention¨ strategy, the BC-CfE has quite literally revolutionized HIV/AIDS care, saving and improving millions of lives worldwide.

The BC-CfE has responded to a new study published in the journal Science reporting on the discovery of a highly virulent variant of HIV-1 found to be circulating in the Netherlands and other parts of western Europe during the past two decades.

The latest available figures released by the B.C. Coroners Service show a record death toll from illicit drug overdoses through the first ten months of 2021. 1,782 people died, surpassing the 1,765 deaths recorded in 2020.

Today, February 7th, is the eighth annual African, Caribbean and Black Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. This commemorative day helps raise awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS within Canada’s ACB communities and is also an opportunity to combat HIV-related stigma and fear.

The BC-CfE’s Per-SVR (PrEseRvation of Sustained Virologic Response) team, joined this year by staff members of the Hope to Health Clinic, successfully coordinated another winter clothing and sock drive to help support the clients of the Hope to Health clinic.

We asked Niloufar Aran, a BC-CfE research coordinator of the Epidemiology and Population Health Program about her work and how it relates to this year’s World AIDS Day theme of ‘End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics’