A Nanaimo clinic wants to get the public talking about a new approach to preventing the spread of HIV in the hopes that it may soon be brought to the Harbour City.
The AVI Health Centre is bringing leading HIV/AIDS expert Dr. Julio Montaner to Nanaimo Monday (Jan. 24) to talk about the new approach – “treatment as prevention”.
Dana Becker, manager of the clinic on Victoria Road, said the pilot project Montaner is running in two B.C. communities actively seeks out people with HIV and helps them get treatment.
The provincially funded Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention of HIV/AIDS (STOP HIV/AIDS) brings testing and treatment to vulnerable populations in Vancouver and Prince George, reducing the need for hospital visits.