Introducing the Global Association for the Support of Haitian Urology (GASHU)

Josh Wood / Uncategorized /

The Societe Haitienne D’Urologie (SHU) and the Global Association for the Support of Haitian Urology (GASHU) are proud to announce the official signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between the SHU and St. Francois de Salles on Friday, August 26, 2016 in Port-au-Prince on the premises of the newly built Hospital.

Background Information:
For more than 20 years, foreign urologists have independently provided direct patient care in Haiti or conducted educational seminars to share their expertise with fellow Haitian colleagues. In general, these activities have operated independently without cross-coordination and thus have failed to achieve their full potential.

Global Association for the Support of Haitian Urology (GASHU)
To overcome these shortcomings, several Haitian, American, and International Urologists have dedicated great efforts and resources for the past 5 years towards numerous seminars, workshops, AUA supported Ultrasound Workshops and two-day conferences in Port-au-Prince (2013, 2014). This has helped the organization overall to evolve into a better organized and coordinated Urology Association. The newly named Global Association for the Support of Haitian Urology (GASHU) will be able to streamline these efforts in order to maximize the positive impact to urology training, practice and patient care in Haiti. GASHU has recently identified the newly built Hospital St Francois de Salles (Port-au-Prince, Haiti) as one of the premiere hospitals in Haiti which offers great potential for the training of Residents and the development of surgical workshops. The geographic location and infrastructure of Hospital St Francois de Salles (SFDS) are superb. The Haitian Clergy and Leadership at SFDS are very welcoming and eager to help the Haitian Community at large.

This significant effort which holds great promise to change the landscape of urologic care in Haiti is supported by several influential foreign global Urology organizations and international leaders in the field of Urology.

The members of these efforts include the American Urologic Association ( AUA ) the Global Philanthropic Committee ( GPC ) , Societe Internationale D’Urologie – SIU, International Volunteers in Urology (current name IVUmed ) Association des Medecins Haitiens a l’Etranger (AMHE) , Societe Haitienne D’Urologie (SHU) , Genito-Urinary Reconstructive Surgeons- GURS, Project Haiti, Notre Dame Filariasis Project, and Konbit Sante to name a few.

A Clear Mission:
The Mission of the Organization is to improve academic urologic training in Haiti by working with the residents and to better coordinate the efforts of non-Haitian urologists contributing to urologic care in Haiti. This will also improve access and quality of urological care in Haiti. Another focus point of our mission is to increase educational awareness towards the Haitian public on the importance of urologic disorders. This mission will be completed through various media outlets and activities.