News Release – Page 3 – British Columbia Centre for Excellence

Body of Research Links Mental Health Disorders among People Living with HIV to Barriers in Accessing Care

3 October 2016

Among a sample of individuals living with HIV-of which a significant portion are part of key vulnerable and harder-to-reach populations-over half (54%) had concurrent mental illnesses. Recent media reports in Vancouver have pointed to a growing demand for mental health services in general, with fears that needs may outpace current capacity to serve those most in need.

Julio Montaner given UBC’s highest faculty honour: Killam Professor

20 September 2016

Julio Montaner, BC-CfE Director and Professor in the UBC Department of Medicine and Head of the UBC Division of AIDS, has been given the highest faculty honour from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Julio Montaner Applauds Canada’s Commitment to the Global Fund

16 September 2016

It is a source of great pride to have Canada hosting the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund in Montréal, Quebec. I am especially proud Canada has increased its investment in the Global Fund and has committed to bring an end to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Opioid Addiction Guidelines from British Columbia featured in leading medical journal

19 July 2016

A novel approach to treating opioid addiction in British Columbia is attracting major international attention after being reviewed and featured in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Incarceration Associated with Poorer Treatment Outcomes for Women Living with HIV in Canada

19 July 2016

While the provision of HIV treatment and care to incarcerated populations is mandated by law, women face challenges in maintaining their HIV treatment in the community post-release. Recent Canadian research has found women living with HIV who have been incarcerated in the past year are three times more likely to have poor adherence to ART, compared with women who have never been incarcerated.

Online sex industry provides critical safety and health protections for men sex workers

7 July 2016

New research raises significant concerns about the impact of criminalized PCEPA laws targeting third party advertising

British Columbia striding ahead in men’s health

13 June 2016

The Province has provided $2 million to the Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and UBC Hospital Foundation to motivate men to live healthier lives, Health Minister Terry Lake announced today while marking the start of Canadian Men’s Health Week.

Simple routine medical screening could help identify those at highest risk of overdose deaths

19 May 2016

Inquiries about a patient’s overdose history by a family doctor or first line health care professional could help identify those most at risk of dying from a fatal drug overdose. A new study from researchers at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) found individuals who experienced a non-fatal overdose are more likely to subsequently die from a fatal overdose than those who did not report a recent overdose.

HIV vaccine design should adapt as HIV virus mutates

16 May 2016

Human immunodeficiency virus is known to be a highly variable virus that adapts to a person’s immune response during the lifetime infection, and a new study published in Nature Medicine shows that viral adaptation in HIV can predict a person’s current disease status, as well as the degree to which newly transmitted HIV-1 is adapted to their new host.

Study Links Support Services and Harm Reduction to Improved HIV Treatment Outcomes among People Who Use Drugs

13 May 2016

A new study by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), presented at the Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) Conference, finds HIV-positive clients who used drugs and accessed support services provided by the Dr. Peter Centre (DPC) had better results from HIV treatment than study participants who were not accessing DPC services. The link between use of DPC services and suppressed viral load may be due, in large part, to programs offered by the DPC to clients living with HIV including a meal program, counselling, art therapy and nursing services.

Statement from BC-CfE Director Dr. Julio Montaner on Canada’s Pledge to End AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

9 May 2016

Vancouver, BC [May 9, 2016] The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) commends and thanks Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on committing to ending AIDS, malaria and TB globally by 2030, and on increasing the federal government’s investment in the Global Fund. By reaching out to key population groups, removing any barriers to care and treatment and engaging everyone in prevention and testing, we can end these illnesses.

B.C. gives $5 million to expand efforts to curb hepatitis C infection

21 April 2016

The Province has provided $5 million to the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation for a research study on how to reduce new infections of hepatitis C in the province, announced Health Minister Terry Lake today, along with BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BCCfE) director Dr. Julio Montaner.

HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS COALITION APPLAUDS SUPREME COURT DECISION IN DRUG-SENTENCING CASE

15 April 2016

As a coalition of interveners* in the Supreme Court of Canada case, R. v. Lloyd, we applaud the Court for recognizing that a mandatory minimum sentence (MMS) for certain drug offences is not only harsh and damaging, but also unconstitutional.

MEDIA ADVISORY

14 April 2016

Supreme Court of Canada to announce decision on Joseph Ryan Lloyd v. Her Majesty the Queen – April 15 Vancouver, BC [April 14, 2015] The Supreme Court of Canada will announce its judgment in the case of Joseph Ryan Lloyd v. Her Majesty the Queen on Friday, April 15. The court will decide if mandatory

British Columbia Develops Cutting-Edge System to Detect HIV Outbreaks

8 April 2016

Vancouver, BC [April 8, 2016] The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), in collaboration with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH), has created a first-of-its-kind system for identifying HIV transmission outbreaks in near real-time, published in The Lancet HIV. The innovative system has shown to be an effective and cost-saving means to address localized outbreaks of HIV transmission within the province of British Columbia.

North American Hepatitis C Epidemic Peaked around 1950, 15 Years Earlier than Previous Estimates

31 March 2016

Results support routine HCV testing for all people born between 1945 and 1964.

New study looks at impact of tranquilizers on increase in HIV

14 March 2016

The recent spike in opioid-related overdoses and deaths, due to escalating prescription opioid use and the introduction of illicit fentanyl, has raised concerns regarding the impact of opioid use and illegal drug manufacturing in communities across Canada. While most of the emphasis had been focused on the harms of opioids, less emphasis has been placed on benzodiazepines – also known as tranquilizers.

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