GHESKIO Buildings Suffer Damage due to Earthquake in Port au Prince, Haiti, but No Serious Injuries Reported
We thank everyone for their concern about our Haiti WCMC - GHESKIO team after the earthquake on Tuesday. Information and news updates will continue to be posted on the website for the Weill Cornell Center for Global Health at: http://weill.cornell.edu/globalhealth/
Founded in 1982, GHESKIO is the first institution in the world exclusively dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS and is located in the center of the most devastated area of Port au Prince.
The GHESKIO and IMIS buildings suffered damage but no one was seriously injured at either site. We have communicated with WCMC faculty Jean Pape and Macarthur Charles, and they are safe. We are working to communicate with and ensure the safety of our other faculty members, students, and staff in Haiti.
It is expected that a series of "health aftershocks" will now follow in three waves -- first from deaths from untreated injuries, then from illness from lack of clean water, housing and sanitation (diarrheal disease and respiratory infections) and finally extreme food insecurity. And all this in a setting that can ill-afford any further systemic injuries.
Many of you have asked how you can help. Weill Cornell will serve as a conduit to direct funds to GHESKIO for emergency relief efforts. All donated funds will be transferred to GHESKIO under the leadership of Dr. Jean Pape.
If you're looking to help, see this link (http://wcmchelpshaiti.org) to help spur donations for relief. Please send around to friends and family; even a little bit will go a long way here.
Please make checks out to "WCMC-GHESKIO"; please send checks or drop them off at:
The Center for Global Health
Weill Cornell Medical College
440 East 69th Street
New York, NY 10065
For more information please visit our website weill.cornell.edu/globalhealth
For more information about GHESKIO please visit http://weill.cornell.edu/globalhealth/major-initiatives/haiti/ or gheskio.org.