Dr. Jean William Pape, head of the GHESKIO centers, has been selected as the recipient of the IAS President’s Award. He is set to receive this honor from the International AIDS Society during the AIDS 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro this July. The award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exemplary leadership and excellence as pioneers in the global response to HIV, particularly those whose work has advanced innovative solutions and evidence-based policies in challenging environments.
Beatriz Grinsztejn, President of the IAS, praised Dr. Pape’s decades of leadership, noting that he has built person-centered services and trained the next generation of Haitian clinicians. Dr. Pape reacted by stating that while he is deeply honored, the credit belongs to the entire GHESKIO team. He noted that the center recently celebrated its 44th anniversary in a sober atmosphere, reflecting on the need to establish ten community health centers across the country to bypass the insecurity hindering access to their main downtown facility.
Dr. Pape also pointed out a shifting health landscape: while HIV was once the leading cause of death in Haiti, it has now dropped to seventh place. Today, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have become the primary cause of mortality. In response, GHESKIO has partnered with Cornell University and the Haitian College of Cardiology to establish a specialized CVD center, focusing on prevention and intervention for patients who are now more likely to die from heart-related issues than from AIDS.
