Haitian girls and young women living in Port-au-Prince are particularly vulnerable to HIV infection, with a much higher HIV prevalence than the general population. Since the early 1980s, the Haitian Study Group on Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections (GHESKIO) has provided care for HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), diarrhea, and tuberculosis (TB) through its community- and clinic-based services. 

On Friday, December 4, 2009, CGD hosted a discussion on Lessons Learned in Addressing HIV Infection among Haitian Adolescents featuring Dr. Marie Marcelle Deschamps, Secretary General of GHESKIO. Deschamps discussed the successes and limitations of GHESKIO's work to curb HIV infection among adolescent girls--with a specific emphasis on the challenges of working with a population with high levels of poverty and violence. Ruth Levine, CGD's Vice President for Programs and Operations, and Senior Fellow, chaired the seminar.

Access Deschamps' presentation (pdf, 4M).