The CIHR Gold Leaf Prize for Impact awarded to BC CfE lauds
25 years of leadership in the battle against HIV/AIDS
Ottawa, May 16, 2017 – The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded the inaugural CIHR Gold Leaf for Impact prize to the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS to recognize 25 years of providing care and treatment for those living with HIV/AIDS.
“Canadians should be proud of their health researchers currently at work in their country who are conducting research that has the power to change lives,” said Roderick McInnes, Acting President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research.”The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS has played a significant role in leading in the fight against HIV/AIDS at home and around the world.”
The CIHR Gold Leaf Prize for Impact is awarded to an individual or team that demonstrates proven impact on health outcomes, practices, policies, and on the health system. The award acknowledges the role the B.C. Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS has played in developing effective treatment and providing care for those living with HIV/AIDS, educating health professionals worldwide, and promoting evidence-based policy to protect people and populations from the virus.
“I am incredibly proud to accept this award on behalf of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS,” said Dr. Julio Montaner, Director, BC CfE and a CIHR-funded researcher.”Throughout its history, the B.C. Centre for Excellence for HIV/AIDS has been a leader in tackling one of the world’s deadliest diseases with an innovative and compassionate approach. The Gold Leaf award is recognition of the ground-breaking work of the scientists, doctors, researchers and nurses who tackled the complex challenges presented by the HIV/AIDS virus in the early days, to developing breakthrough treatments and advocating for those most impacted by the disease.”
The BC CfE provides evidence to support policies and programs that improve the health and welfare of populations most vulnerable to HIV and other related diseases. From leading the development of new treatments for HIV/AIDS to pioneering the advancement of the Treatment as Prevention¨ model (TasP¨), the B.C. Centre for Excellence has grown to include 375 staff and a research laboratory, a drug treatment program, an epidemiology and population health program, the Urban Health Research Initiative and the Gender and Sexual Health Initiative.
What is Treatment as Prevention¨ (TasP¨)?
TasP¨, pioneered by the BC-CfE, consists of widespread, earlier HIV testing and the immediate offer of HIV antiretroviral treatment (ART) to those who test positive. TasP¨ has been proven to greatly improve a patient’s quality of life, prevent progression to AIDS and extend longevity by decades, while reducing the likelihood of HIV transmission by greater than 95%. Within BC, the implementation of TasP¨, with support from the provincial government, has resulted in significant declines in HIV transmission among injection drug users. In addition, TasP¨ has led to an 88% decline in new AIDS cases and a 65% drop in new HIV cases in BC since 1994. Decline in HIV among PWID (people who inject drugs)has been credited as the main driver of the consistent decline in HIV in BC, the only province to see such a drop. On World AIDS Day 2015 (December 1), the Canadian federal government formally embraced TasP¨ based on the pioneering work of the BC-CfE.
About the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE-https://bccfe.ca) is Canada’s largest HIV/AIDS research, treatment and education facility and is internationally recognized as an innovative world leader in combating HIV/AIDS and related diseases. BC-CfE is based at St. Paul’s Hospital, Providence Health Care, a teaching hospital of the University of British Columbia. The BC-CfE works in close collaboration with key provincial stakeholders, including government, health authorities, health care providers, academics from other institutions, and the community to decrease the health burden of HIV and AIDS. By developing, monitoring and disseminating comprehensive research and treatment programs for HIV and related illnesses, the BC-CfE helps improve the health of British Columbians.
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Rena Heer, Edelman
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Email: rena.heer@edelman.com