British Columbia has made remarkable progress in reducing HIV transmission. Now, a team of UBC Faculty of Medicine researchers aims to bring the province closer than ever to achieving sustained control of new infections.
To support this next stage, the researchers are leading a new project that uses advanced genomic and AI-enabled tools to better understand how transmission patterns are changing in new HIV diagnoses in B.C.
The project, funded by Genome BC and announced on World AIDS Day, will help public health teams identify the source of new infections and decide what focused actions can help prevent further spread, bringing B.C. one step closer to ending HIV transmission for good.
“This project will allow us to develop new analytic and genomic tools that can strengthen HIV public health responses and help address some of the most difficult remaining challenges in B.C. and across Canada,” said principal investigator Dr. Jeffrey Joy, assistant professor in UBC’s department of medicine and senior research scientist at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BCCfE).
Understanding changing HIV transmission patterns
Although B.C. continues to report more than 100 new HIV diagnoses annually, the proportion attributed to local transmission has declined substantially.
Many new cases are not connected to established local clusters, which, along with other evidence, suggests they are frequently associated with inter-provincial and international transmission. As HIV transmission becomes more interconnected across provinces and borders, public health teams need novel, modern tools that improve understanding of these patterns and support more precise prevention strategies.
“With global HIV prevention resources declining, this investment is both timely and critical,” said Dr. Joy. “By providing clearer insight into how and where HIV continues to spread, the work will support more equitable care by helping ensure vulnerable communities are identified earlier and connected to treatment that improves health outcomes and reduces onward transmission.”
The new project will apply advanced genomic and computational approaches to better map HIV transmission patterns and support improved understanding within public health systems.
By combining viral genomics, phylogenetics (which examines how viruses are related), AI and machine learning, the project will develop new tools to improve understanding of where new infections may be originating and which populations are most affected.
“British Columbia’s progress in controlling HIV is rooted in our commitment to treatment as prevention, the combined impact of this and pre-exposure prophylaxis, and the use of innovative tools like phylogenetic monitoring,” said Dr. Julio Montaner, a professor in UBC’s department of medicine and executive director of theBCCfE. “This project will build on that foundation by improving our understanding of emerging transmission patterns and helping refine prevention strategies as we work to end new HIV transmissions in B.C. and continue to exceed the UN Targets.”
HIV is a preventable infection. Each avoided case represents a significant social and economic benefit. Reducing new HIV transmissions supports the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS targets for 2030. It contributes to long term improvements in health outcomes, quality of life and lower healthcare costs for people across B.C. and Canada.
“Genome BC is investing in research that supports the next phase of progress in HIV prevention,” said Dr. Federica Di Palma, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President, Research and Innovation at Genome BC. “By developing tools that improve understanding of how transmission patterns are shifting, this project will help ensure B.C. continues to benefit from evidence-based approaches as we work toward reducing new infections.”
The tools and methods developed through this project will become part of ongoing HIV surveillance and public health practice in B.C. and nationally. By providing deeper insight into remaining transmission dynamics, this work supports the broader goal of moving toward the end of new HIV transmissions in British Columbia.
A version of this story was originally published by Genome BC.