A prominent AIDS expert in British Columbia is calling on the federal and provincial governments to sign a commitment to help end the epidemic of the disease.
The director of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Dr. Julio Montaner, issued an open letter Monday calling on the prime minister, premiers and opposition leaders to sign the Washington, D.C., Declaration.
The document, which Montaner acknowledged holds no legal weight, is the official declaration of the upcoming International AIDS Conference, which will bring together 25,000 global leaders and AIDS experts when it begins in Washington next week.
Organizers are seeking to end the epidemic through a nine-point plan, including access to antiretroviral treatment and ending discrimination and stigmas related to AIDS.
In an open letter to Canada’s political leaders, Montaner says the knowledge and tools to defeat the epidemic now exist. The will to do so, he writes, lies with the government.
“We have made great strides in HIV and AIDS treatment and prevention, but more needs to be done,” Montaner writes.
“To curb HIV and reach the promise of an AIDS-free generation, we must ramp up and fully roll out treatment as prevention in Canada and around the world.”