Message from the Executive Director

What an incredible couple of months! When we made the decision to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Dr. Peter Diaries, I don’t think any of us fully anticipated the public’s passion for the legacy that Dr. Peter started 20 years ago.

It’s a testament to how many people Dr. Peter touched with the Diaries and how many people the Dr. Peter Centre has helped since we opened in 1997. It’s also a testament to the public’s interest in the issues of HIV/AIDS today – and the desire for effective solutions.

British Columbia is a world leader in effective solutions and the Dr. Peter Centre is one of those solutions. At the Vienna International AIDS Conference which I attended last July, BC took centre stage for its scientific work showing that uninterrupted HIV treatment works as HIV prevention. That’s why the BC government has launched a STOP HIV/AIDS program to get uninterrupted HIV treatment to everyone who needs it. That’s where the Dr. Peter Centre comes in and why weekend service is so important.

Both the Dr. Peter Centre Day Health Program and 24-hour skilled nursing care Residence provide care and support for high risk individuals who, for a short time or a long time, need extra help maintaining their uninterrupted engagement in HIV treatment.  It means they can have the life extending benefits of the treatment and, along with their use of condoms and clean needles, know they are doing their part to continue BC’s downward trend in HIV transmission.   

British Columbia is already reaping the benefits of its progressive policies over the years. Amongst intravenous drug users, new HIV diagnoses have decreased by almost 50% from 1999 to 2009. British Columbia is now the only province in Canada to have reduced its HIV infection rate – a stunning 52% reduction since 1996.    

Twenty years ago, Dr. Peter raised the bar on AIDS awareness and education through the Dr. Peter Diaries. Today, the Dr. Peter Centre’s staff, volunteers, donors, day health participants and residents are raising the bar on HIV treatment. And, with your support, we can continue to raise the bar over the next 20 years. Together, we are changing the world of HIV/AIDS care.

Until there’s a cure…