VANCOUVER — “AIDS is no longer an epidemic in B.C.”
That landmark declaration was made by Dr. Julio Montaner Sunday at his newly renovated lab on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Montaner is the executive director and physician-in-chief of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, credited with helping to dramatically reduce the number of new infections in the province.
On World AIDS Day, Montaner and B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix cut the ribbon to officially open the new lab, working to support people living with HIV/AIDS and also collecting vital research.
“B.C. is seen as having the world’s gold standard to profoundly reduce HIV transmission and transition the crisis from a serious epidemic to a manageable chronic disease,” Health Minister Adrian Dix said.
A handout at the event showed new cases of HIV have dropped 73 per cent in B.C. since 1996, and new AIDS cases have decreased 90 per cent since 1994.