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Responding to disasters around the world

Corporate Responsibility Report 2008

Responding to disasters around the world

GSK provides humanitarian assistance in the form of cash and product donations in times of emergency and natural disasters. In 2008, as part of our ongoing programme, we provided humanitarian relief to many areas, including China, Burma and Zimbabwe.

Following the cyclone in Burma we worked with AmeriCares, one of our partners specialising in rapid-response delivery, to supply GSK-donated medicines. We also made a donation of Ł50,000 ($93,000) to Save the Children, a charity that has an established presence in Burma. Our contribution supported recovery efforts, including the provision of shelter, child protection, food and nutrition and emergency health services for over 100,000 children and their families.

The earthquake which hit Sichuan Province in China in May left over 70,000 dead and 15 million people displaced or homeless. GSK Hong Kong/China gave a cash donation of 10 million Yuan, approximately $1.4 million, to the China Red Cross, and donated supplies of basic medicines.

We provided funds to the British Red Cross for a Mass Sanitation Module to provide emergency sanitation facilities and hygiene education for up to 20,000 people during times of crisis. This helps to avoid outbreaks of disease and was deployed in December 2008 in Zimbabwe to help stem the cholera outbreak.

We continued our support for communities affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which caused huge damage to coastal areas across South Asia:

In Sri Lanka, we are helping to establish mobile clinics that increase access to quality healthcare for isolated communities affected by the tsunami and conflict in the country. In 2008, 47 mobile clinics were set up in 13 different locations, providing the only reliable healthcare services in these areas. The clinics treated nearly 10,500 patients and in total gave healthcare education messages to 12,000 patients and the people accompanying them
We are working with Leonard Cheshire Disability to create an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for people with disabilities who were affected by the 2004 tsunami in Galle, Sri Lanka. A new resource centre will be established to support people with disabilities by providing rehabilitation services, mainstream education and livelihood opportunities.
We support long-term relief efforts in affected areas of Chennai, India, by providing nursing training to young women from poor villages. As well boosting healthcare services in the area, the training enables the women to support themselves financially by becoming nursing assistants. Between 2007 and 2009 420 women will be trained.
In Thailand we are helping to boost the economies of six coastal villages where the local fishing industry was destroyed by the tsunami. With the Raks Thai Foundation we support initiatives that provide business loans and organise youth activities and efforts to improve the local environment. We also gave funding to help NGO Francois Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) to introduce the concept of a ‘model village’. This is a low-cost, sustainable, community-based programme that has been successful in helping families to achieve self-sufficiency