Help Those Affected by Pacific Rim Disasters by Donating to AAFP Foundation

The images that have blanketed the airwaves and newspaper front pages across the nation in recent weeks show the devastation wrought by storms and earthquakes along the Pacific Rim. Heart to Heart International (3-page PDF; About PDFs) and the International Medical Corps (1-page PDF; About PDFs) are responding to the medical needs of people affected by these natural disasters, and the AAFP Foundation is offering Academy members a chance to support those efforts.

"The AAFP Foundation has a long-standing tradition of responding to disasters around the world on behalf of our donors," said Craig Doane, executive director of the foundation and AAFP vice president for corporate development. "By partnering with Heart to Heart and International Medical Corps, our support is clearly focused on reaching those most in need."

By donating to the foundation, members can help Heart to Heart International focus on preventing the spread of disease among people living in temporary shelters or exposed environments and on increasing access to basic medical services within the overwhelmed infrastructures of affected regions. Members who choose to donate also can help the International Medical Corps provide emergency health care and distribute much-needed nonfood items and hygiene kits to individuals who have been injured or who have lost family members or homes.

To help disaster victims in affected areas, such as the Philippines, the Samoan and Tongan islands and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, be sure to select the "Disaster Relief - International" button on the donation form.

The AAFP Foundation also gives Academy members a way to help their physician colleagues who have been stricken by a disaster. The foundation's Disaster Assistance Program provides support to family physicians who have sustained uninsured losses to their medical practices, as well as to those who need help getting their practices up and running again in a time of crisis.