Experts say work to reduce the global AIDS epidemic and develop an HIV vaccine is beginning to bear fruit.
Dr. Stefano Bertozzi, a leading expert in the field and dean of the school of public health at the University of California at Berkeley, will speak about that progress Oct. 7 in Saanich at Cadboro Bay United Church.
The talk by Bertozzi is the first in a series of public lectures on global health initiatives sponsored by the church and Victoria's Grandmothers Advocacy Network.
The network has been campaigning for Canada to increase its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
“We can’t be complacent,” network co-chair Anne Young said in a release. “We’re delighted to have Dr. Bertozzi address this issue. We believe his talk will underline the importance of the Global Fund."
The goal, she said, is to see the federal government boost its share of the fund to $750 million from $540 million over the next three years.
Bertozzi, former director of HIV programs with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will also give an afternoon seminar to students and faculty at the University of Victoria on the economics of health.
His talk at Cadboro Bay United, 2625 Arbutus Rd., is titled Turning the Corner on AIDS: The Role of the Global Fund. Start time is 7:30 p.m. and admission is by donation. For more information, call 250-477-2715.