News Releases

Conservative Government Missing on Endorsement of Global and Domestic Strategy to End AIDS

In response to a letter from the Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) Dr. Julio Montaner, all federal political parties – except the Conservative government – pledged their support of a global target to end AIDS by 2030. On September 22, Dr. Julio Montaner wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which was also sent to all leaders of the Canadian federal parties, calling on the federal government to formally endorse the United Nations HIV/AIDS strategy. The 90-90-90 Target, created by UNAIDS, is based on the made in BC concept of Treatment as Prevention¨ (TasP¨) pioneered by Dr. Montaner.

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Nearly Half of Canadians Living with HIV Start Treatment Late

HIV testing in parts of Canada remains based on”perceived risk” and could be keeping people living with the disease from discovering their status. A new study, based on the largest Canadian database of people living with HIV, finds nearly half of those surveyed started antiretroviral treatment (ART) when they had already reached an AIDS-defining illness or a weakened immune system.

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Women Living with HIV Face Higher Rates of Cancer Diagnosis: Study

Due to the introduction of modern highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), people living with HIV are now much less likely to develop AIDS-related cancers, which were characteristic of the epidemic in the 1980s. However, a new study published in HIV Medicine shows women living with HIV still have a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with certain cancers, when compared with the general population.

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8th IAS Conference on Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2015) – Closing Session Speech

I echo Chris´s sentiments. It has been a terrific week. Science, venue, weather, volunteers, staff, delegates and even Pope Francis; everything came together better than we ever hoped.
It has been quite a conference. Indeed, a transformational week. Much, as in Vancouver 1996, this has been a game changer for HIV. IAS 2015, with more than 6,500 delegates from all over the world, comes on the heels of three major achievements.

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Expanding Access to HAART Saves Millions in Health Care and Productivity Costs

Vancouver, BC [July 17, 2015] A study published in The Lancet HIV by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) shows expanding Treatment as Prevention¨ (TasP¨) could save up to $66.5 million over the next 25 years, compared with a scenario with reduced access to antiretroviral medication. The study finds expanded access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has more than offset the additional costs of treatment, resulting in improved health outcomes and cost-savings.

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BC-CfE Study Finds a Majority of HIV-Positive Women Who Use Injection Drugs Face Legal Obligation to Disclose HIV Status to Sexual Partners

Vancouver, BC [July 17, 2015] A new British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) study finds 44 per cent of participants within a research cohort of people who use injection drugs living with HIV in Vancouver would be legally obligated to disclose their HIV status to their sexual partners. Within the study, 65 per cent of male participants compared with only 45 percent of female participants satisfied the Supreme Court of Canada’s legal test for HIV non-disclosure, based on the October 2012 ruling in R v. Mabior.

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