PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- GlaxoSmithKline announced today that it has made a $1 million cash donation to the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund to help reconstruction efforts following the devastating earthquake in the mountainous regions of South Asia in early October. The earthquake claimed the lives of over 80,000 people, and about 3.5 million survivors are homeless - many of whom face extreme winter weather conditions with little shelter.
The South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund was established following an appeal by President George Bush to U.S. organizations. It is administered by the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), a CEO-led forum whose mission is to lead the business community in corporate philanthropy.
“We are proud to join with other members of the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy to meet the critical needs of earthquake survivors in South Asia,” said Jean-Pierre Garnier, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline. “These survivors are suffering, and those of us with the ability to do so should respond to the President’s call for support, and do what we can to help rebuild lives and communities destroyed by the earthquake.”
GSK’s $1 million donation will be designated for reconstruction and rebuilding. GSK has already contributed frontline healthcare support for the disaster, with free emergency supplies of antibiotics for over 10,000 patients delivered within 48 hours of the earthquake through GSK’s business in Pakistan.
More recently, GSK agreed to donate 350,000 doses of hepatitis-A vaccine to health authorities in Pakistan for use in the relief camps housing those displaced by the earthquake.
The company will match GSK employee donations to the South Asia Earthquake Relief Fund at 100%.
An Advisory Committee of five CEOs, together with a representative from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and one from the Pakistani-American community, will ensure the funds raised are directed to where they are most needed.
For more information about the US relief effort and how to contribute, visit http://www.southasiaearthquakerelief.org.
GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by helping people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more information about GlaxoSmithKline, visit http://www.gsk.com.
GlaxoSmithKline
CONTACT: US Media inquiries: Nancy Pekarek, +1-215-751-7709, or UK Mediainquiries: Alice Hunt, (020) 8047 5502, both of GlaxoSmithKline
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