VANCOUVER - A study by Vancouver researchers suggests increasing drug treatment for people infected with HIV will prevent new cases and could save almost $1 billion over 30 years.
The B.C. Centre for Excellence in AIDS/HIV study is the first to gauge the economic benefits of treating more people with highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART.
The study says financial benefits of about US$900 million would be incurred if 75 per cent of all eligible British Columbians were treated with the drug regimen, up from the current 50 per cent of infected patients.
The study authors say expanding treatment will prevent new infections and lead to lower health-care costs over time.
The centre's findings have been published in "AIDS," the official journal of the International AIDS Society.
The B.C. government recently announced funding for a program that would expand access to HIV/AIDS drugs for sex trade workers, injection drug users and men who have sex with men as part of a pilot project called Seek and Treat.
