Prince George, B.C. – It is  World Aids Day,  and  BC is leading the way  when it comes to  HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.

A B.C. Doctor, Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the BC Centre for excellence in HIV/Aids has  led the charge.  He started as an advocate for patients in the early ’80’s, then  was a key figure in the development of  what has become known as  highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) which is now the  standard of care around the world.
B.C. is  seeing a decline in  new infections, the only province in Canada  that  is seeing that kind of trend.

Northern Health has  played a role, introducing routine offering of HIV tests across the Northern Health regions.

“Patients will now be offered HIV testing as a treatment and prevention approach to decrease HIV in communities” says Bareilly Sweet, the Regional Coodinator Blood Borne Pathogen Services with the Northern Health  Interior health Unit.

She says this approach is based on the idea of broad-based testing for HIV in order to identify those infected with the HIV virus early  “This will enable people to obtain treatment sooner to decrease the amount of virus in the body and stop the transmission risk of passing on the virus to others.”

Sweet says there  is also  increased education being offered in  partnership with  community organizations  such as Positive Living North, Northern HIV & Health Education Society and the Northern BC First Nations HIV/AIDS Coalition  “Together with Northern Health’s Blood Borne Pathogens team, education is being provided to community members and health care staff in hopes to decrease the  stigma and create awareness about contracting  HIV. ”

Statistics show that one in every four people living with HIV don’t know they  have it,  and  60% will  be diagnosed  when the disease  is in its advanced stages.

Yet,  progress  has been made.  Being  HIV positive used to be  a grim diagnosis,  now it is  considered  a “manageable chronic disease” and with early treatment, community members can live a long and healthy lifestyle.

Sweet says  people  need to know that HIV  “is not just a high risk lifestyle disease.”  She says if people are having sex,  they are  at risk of contracting HIV.  “In recognition of World AIDS Day our message is that HIV affects everyone and early testing can help to combat the disease and reduce the stigma against those living with HIV and advanced HIV/AIDS.”