Julio Montaner on the Last 20 Years in HIV Research

Fred Schaich of IFARA spoke with Julio Montaner, M.D., director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, about changes in HIV research and implementation of that research during the past two decades. The 1996 International AIDS Conference in Vancouver, B.C., saw the emergence of triple drug therapy as an effective way to treat HIV infection. Nineteen years later in the same city, that treatment has proven to keep the spread of the disease in check. Treatment as prevention is “Science 101,” as Montaner put it: “If there is virus, you transmit. If there is no virus detectable, you don’t transmit.”

We now have the “irrefutable, conclusive, impeccable” proof that starting HIV treatment immediately after testing positive for the virus is beneficial not only to the infected individual, but also to that person’s community, Montaner said. He called universal access to HIV treatment a “fundamental right” and urged people around the world to demand of their political leaders that they ensure such access.

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During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below