Minister Terry Lake meets with BC-CfE Director Julio Montaner

published on August 12, 2013

Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE), met with new B.C. Minister of Health Terry Lake to discuss the province’s progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Montaner presented results on the success of Treatment as Prevention (TasP) in B.C., a strategy pioneered by the BC-CfE. One component of the TasP strategy is the Seek and Treat for Optimal Prevention of HIV/AIDS (STOP HIV/AIDS). This initiative was piloted in BC, and as of April 1, 2013 the Ministry of Health rolled the successful STOP HIV/AIDS initiative out provincially by providing $19.9 million in annual funding to health authorities.. At the height of the HIV epidemic in the early 1990s, the number of new HIV diagnoses was approximately 900 a year. By the end of 2012, the number of new HIV diagnoses had dropped to 238.

“I’m excited by the success of Treatment as Prevention and its impact on the health of British Columbians,” said Minister Lake following the presentation. “We’ve established a model for the world to follow and the world is indeed watching closely as B.C. continues to implement successful strategies for progress toward an HIV and AIDS-free generation.”

“Thanks to the commitment from the government of B.C., we have led the way in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Dr. Montaner. “We are the only province in Canada demonstrating a consistent decline in HIV-related morbidity, mortality and new diagnoses. The success of Treatment as Prevention is part of our disease elimination concept and we believe this strategy can be applied to other infectious diseases.”

The Treatment as Prevention strategy for HIV involves widespread HIV testing and early engagement of those medically eligible into highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). It has been endorsed by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS, and adopted in a number of other countries, including China. Along with robust harm reduction programs, such as needle distribution and supervised injection services like Insite, the TasP strategy is establishing B.C. as a global leader in preventing, diagnosing and treating HIV/AIDS.

“The government of B.C. is committed to working to improve the health of all British Columbians and their families,” said Minister Lake. “We’re looking at how we can apply successes and lessons learned from the Treatment as Prevention, STOP HIV/AIDS strategy to improve our response to other diseases, such as viral hepatitis and other sexually transmissible infections.”

In March of 2013, the Minister of Health announced the creation of a $1.5 million fund to develop a business case to explore better ways to address both hepatitis B and C epidemics in British Columbia. This project will be funded through the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, applying the successful HIV model pioneered by the BC-CfE. The BC-CfE will collaborate with the BC Centre for Disease Control in the development of the business case proposal.

BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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Minister Terry Lake meets with BC-CfE Director Julio Montaner

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