(Click to enlarge)

On 12 May 2008, a powerful earthquake shook south-west China. It was felt as far away as Beijing and Shanghai, as well as in Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan. It was the most violent earthquake the country had experienced since 1976. The earthquake caused the collapse of schools, homes, and factories, trapping tens of thousands of people, and made 70.000 deaths, 375.000 injured persons and 18.000 missing persons.

In the aftermath of the disaster, Sanofi-aventis mobilized both at group level and through its subsidiaries to launch emergency aid actions for the people affected by the earthquake.

At an official ceremony on May 13, Thomas Kelly, CEO of Sanofi-aventis China, handed over a cheque for €1.5 million on behalf of the group to the Chinese Ministry of Health.

Mr Kelly also called for internal mobilization among affiliates which collected a total of nearly €252,000. This was chanelled to associations in each partner country (The Red Cross, World Vision U.S., Handicap International, and others).

On June 16, at an official ceremony held in Chengdu, Mr Kelly and Dominique Bussière, General Manager of Sanofi Pasteur, together with representatives of Handicap International, handed a donation € 200,000 to the West China Hospital (4,200 beds) and Hospital No. 3 (800 beds).

As a result of official cooperation agreements with these two major hospitals, Handicap International was able to deliver wheelchairs, crutches and other medical equipment to help patients. A training program for medical teams was also been set up to support victims, and eighty doctors, nurses and physiotherapists have been trained.