Spring 2005 Issue
New Fund Helps CDC Respond to Global Disasters
Following the December 2004 tsunami disaster, CDC teams were called to the region to provide critical assistance to the survivors and to monitor for disease outbreaks. CDC Foundation president and CEO Charlie Stokes quickly met with CDC officials to find out what the Foundation could do to help.
He learned that while CDC responders are well-trained and well-equipped for disaster situations, some specialized equipment such as additional satellite phones, pocket PCs and a camera with global satellite positioning capabilities would help them do their work more quickly and efficiently. The CDC Foundation established a new Global Disaster Response Fund to make it possible for people to contribute to CDC’s tsunami response efforts and to enable CDC to instantly purchase the equipment needed.
The fund is the international counterpart to the CDC Foundation’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund, established after 9/11 to address public health emergencies affecting the United States. The Global Disaster Response Fund provides immediate, flexible resources to CDC experts addressing public health emergencies around the world whether natural disasters like the tsunami, emerging diseases like SARS or avian influenza, or manmade biological threats.
“CDC will always have needs that cannot be met quickly during an emergency situation. The Foundation and its private sector partners can help fill that gap and arm CDC with critical resources in times of crisis,” Stokes says.
You can make a contribution to the CDC Foundation’s Global Disaster Response Fund online or by calling (888) 880-4CDC.