CANADA'S HIV Vancouver Consensus: A New Declaration Against HIV TREATMENT FOR ALL & Reduction of HIV

The consensus commemorates the last time the global HIV community gathered in Vancouver, in 1996, when data was presented supporting the use of triple-drug combination antiretroviral therapy. Since then, the START study has shown that starting treatment immediately, regardless of a patient's CD4 count, greatly reduces risk of death and other complications.

In addition, data has shown that effective treatment reduces the transmissibility of HIV, with the final results of the study known as HPTN 052 (being presented on July 20 at IAS 2015) expected to show a reduction in over 95% in serodiscordant couples.

Although an estimated 15 million people living with HIV worldwide are receiving antiretroviral therapy, "It is time to reach the 60 percent of people living with HIV who are not accessing treatment, including 19 million who do not yet know their status," the Vancouver Consensus states.

To help reach this goal and others, the consensus makes a few calls for action, stating:

We call on leaders the world over to implement HIV science and commit to providing access to immediate HIV treatment to all people living with HIV. We call on donors and governments to use existing resources for maximum impact and to mobilize sufficient resources globally to support [antiretroviral] access for all, U.N. 90/90/90 goals for testing, treatment and adherence, and a comprehensive HIV response. We call on clinicians to build models of care that move beyond the clinic to reach all who want and need [antiretrovirals]. We call on civil society to mobilize in support of immediate rights-based access to treatment for all.