BC-CfE partners with UNAIDS to accelerate access to HIV treatment

published on February 7, 2014

The BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BC-CfE) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have announced a partnership that will accelerate HIV treatment access globally.

On February 5, at a meeting at the UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the two organizations formalized their partnership to support efforts to bring HIV treatment to all eligible people.

“Julio Montaner and his colleagues at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS are globally recognized for their work on HIV treatment and we are happy to continue this long partnership,” UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

Since 2006 Dr. Julio Montaner has called for the implementation of Treatment as Prevention™, a strategy he pioneered at the BC-CfE calling for widespread HIV testing and immediate provision of highly effective antiretroviral therapy to those living with HIV. The TasP™ strategy can eliminate progression of HIV infection to AIDS and premature death, and significantly decrease the amount of virus in the blood and sexual fluids, thereby stopping transmission of HIV.

In 2010 UNAIDS officially endorsed the strategy and, in 2013, they launched the Treatment 2015 framework, a blueprint for the elimination of HIV calling for intensified action and innovation to expedite treatment scale-up.

“We’re very excited to further our relationship with UNAIDS, and to bring the Treatment as Prevention™ model to the world,” said Dr. Montaner.

Under the new partnership, the BC-CfE will support scientific modelling and activities to highlight the need for immediate investments in life-saving HIV treatment programs.

Read the UNAIDS announcement here.

BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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BC-CfE partners with UNAIDS to accelerate access to HIV treatment

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