VANCOUVER -- The British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is taking its successful program to China to help stem the spread of the disease in the Communist country.
The head of the program is hoping the expansion of the treatment plan worldwide will embarrass the Canadian government into adopting the same plan across our country.
Dr. Julio Montaner says China, Brazil, France, the United States and several countries in Africa are in the process of emulating the program that has virtually conquered the disease in British Columbia.
But Montaner says he has constantly been rebuffed by federal officials at home and he wonders if the Canadian government would treat the issue the same way if it were another disease such as breast cancer or the flu.
The agreement signed with China cements a prevention plan that began with the B.C. group two years ago, and begins a new fellowship that will allow Chinese doctors to travel to the province for research related to treatment and prevention.
Through the expansion of testing and treatment, British Columbia's program has cut the mortality rate for HIV and AIDS by more than 95 per cent since 1996.
