Fellowship Site: Haiti
The Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic
Infections (GHESKIO) is a non-governmental organization working
in close partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Health. The GHESKIO
Center is housed in four government buildings in Port au Prince
and integrates patient services, health research, and training in
HIV/AIDS and inter-related diseases including sexually transmitted
diseases, and tuberculosis.
GHESKIO was founded in 1982 by a group of Haitian academics, clinicians
and public health professionals with a primary goal of understanding
the epidemiology of the HIV epidemic in Haiti. GHESKIO documented
the first cases of AIDS from a developing country in 1983 in the
New England Journal of Medicine. Since this time, GHESKIO has created
an internationally recognized center of excellence. The GHESKIO
Center conducts clinical and operational research on HIV/AIDS and
provides training to Haitian investigators and health personnel.
GHESKIO, in partnership with the Haitian Ministry of Health seeks
to define HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment models for Haiti through
the conduct of research, and then expand these models to the national
level through training.
GHESKIO has an executive board of five members and 115 employees.
GHESKIO has 15 physician investigators and 3 senior laboratory investigators.
The GHESKIO Center has served as the Haitian Government's research
and training center for HIV/AIDS for twenty years.
The NIH-funded clinical research includes the following projects:
- HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HIVTN)
- Clinical Trials of Antiretroviral Therapy
- Studies of Informed Consent in Haiti
- Prevention and Therapy of Tuberculosis
- AIDS in Women and Children
More
Project Details from the NIH/CRISP database
Housing Availability:
The Haiti program has a guesthouse which is within a 15-minute walk
of the training site. In addition to walking, students may have
the opportunity to travel by car. The approximate cost for room
and board is $1,000/month.
Immunizations Needed for this Site:
See the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control Web site and The
Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel.
The NIH/FICRS program mandates that all Scholars see a physician
prior to their assignment abroad. The site will require a formal
letter from your physician stating that you have received the necessary
immunizations prior to the start of your fellowship (hepatitis A,
typhoid, meningococcus).
Safety and Danger Issues:
Visit the U.S.
State Department Web site.
Language Requirements Other than English:
None: all GHESKIO staff speak English. Students can learn and
would find it useful to know the basics of Haitian Creole in several
months. In addition, proficiency in French would be helpful but
is not necessary.
What is it like to live in Haiti?
In the view of the program staff, Haitians are a wonderful people
and the country has a rich culture and a 200-year history of independence.
Haiti is also one of the world's most resource-poor countries and
is beset with social-political turmoil. Many of the conveniences
that are taken for granted in the U.S. may not be available in Haiti.
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