Diabetes Canada adapting made-in-BC Treatment as Prevention (TasP¨) strategy to diabetes, making 6 million Canadians aware of their status
VANCOUVER, Oct. 20, 2017 /CNW/ – Diabetes Canada is adopting the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Treatment as Prevention¨ (TasP¨) approach to tackle the epidemic of diabetes and prediabetes currently affecting over 11 million Canadians. This is the first time the made-in-BC TasP¨ strategy, and the related global 90-90-90 Target for the control of HIV/AIDS, will be applied to a non-infectious disease.
The 90-90-90 Target developed by Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, proposes to have at least 90 per cent of all people living with HIV diagnosed, at least 90 per cent of them on antiretroviral therapy and at least 90 per cent of them virologically suppressed by 2020. Achieving the 90-90-90 Target by 2020 would lead to a 90 per cent reduction in HIV/AIDS morbidity and mortality and a 90 per cent decrease in new HIV infections by 2030.
“Setting measurable targets and achieving them through our TasP¨ strategy allowed us to almost eliminate AIDS related morbidity and mortality and drive down the rates of new cases of HIV in BC. This is now the roadmap for HIV/AIDS control globally,” says Dr. Montaner. “This approach can be applied to other high burden diseases. Particularly attractive targets for this approach are contagious diseases, whether infectious – as in viral hepatitis – or socially contagious, as in type 2 diabetes. Expanding TasP¨ beyond HIV/AIDS will ease the burden on our healthcare system and substantially contribute to enhanced healthcare sustainability.”
Adopting the 90-90-90 Target to diabetes will encourage early diagnosis, treatment, and engagement into care to prevent diabetes-related complications that cost the Canadian healthcare system billions of dollars a year. Studies show that as much as 60 per cent of people with prediabetes who make modest lifestyle changes can delay or prevent developing diabetes.