Dr. Jean Pape, founder and director of GHESKIO in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, received a Clinton Global Citizen Award from former President Bill Clinton during a ceremony in New York City on Thursday, Sept. 23.
Dr. Pape, honored for his leadership in civil service, was recognized for his pioneering work at the GHESKIO clinic for the treatment of AIDS and other infectious diseases and for providing emergency health care during the recent earthquake.
"Your dedication to helping Haitians develop their public health system stands as a testament to your visionary leadership," President Clinton said. "For nearly 30 years, you've set an outstanding example through your work on primary care and integrated HIV/AIDS treatment in Haiti. In addition, your work in emergency care since the devastating earthquake has been tremendous."
Founded in 1982, GHESKIO (Groupe Haitien d'Etude du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infections Opportunistes, or the Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections) is a nongovernmental research and training center internationally recognized for its critical work in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and associated illnesses such as tuberculosis.
Dr. Pape and President Clinton (center) with fellow honorees Dr. Mohamed "Mo" Ibrahim (left) and President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernandez.
Dr. Pape has become an international leader in efforts to implement programs for the prevention and control of AIDS and tuberculosis in Haiti and other resource-poor countries, providing counsel to international organizations on bioethics, health disparity and global infectious disease. He has received numerous international awards for his work including the Carlos Slim Award for Global Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Award for Global Health, and the Institut de France Prix Christophe Merieux. In 2003, Dr. Pape was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine.
The Clinton Global Citizen Awards were established in 2007 to recognize extraordinary individuals who have demonstrated visionary leadership in solving pressing global challenges. Through their work, these citizens have proven that diverse sectors of society, including philanthropic, public service, corporate and civic organizations, can work together successfully to implement and devise solutions that effect positive, lasting social change.
Award winners are nominated by world leaders and members of the Clinton Global Initiative, an effort that President Clinton founded in 2005 to move beyond globalization to a more integrated global community. They are chosen and honored for their innovative approaches and the demonstrated results and sustainability of their work. The awards are given to individuals who have shown groundbreaking leadership in four sectors: civil society, the corporate sector, philanthropy and public service.
Photography by Charles Manley.