Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America
The Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) is an American physicians not for profit organization headquartered in Westmont, Illinois. It was formerly known as the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America when it started in 1976 and was formally incorporated in 1977. APPNA is one of the largest ethnic medical societies in North America representing more than 17,000 physicians and health care professionals of Pakistani descent[1] serving across the United States and Canada.
APPNA is a not-for-profit organization registered in the State of Illinois, and designated as a tax exempt charity under the section 501 (c)(3) of Internal Revenue Code. APPNA is a charitable organization dedicated to fostering scientific development and education in the field of medicine and to delivering better health care, irrespective of race, color, creed, or gender.
APPNA members participate in medical relief and other charitable activities at home and abroad. APPNA physicians have actively participated in the relief activities in the aftermath of 9/11, Katrina, the 2005 Pakistan Earthquake, and other natural disasters and humanitarian campaigns around the world.
The organization holds conferences in different locations throughout North America and an annual Summer Conference. There are regional chapters for all major parts of the United States and Canada, with some areas having multiple chapters. APPNA has also helped develop North American alumni association chapters for all major Pakistani medical colleges.
Aims and objectives
- To support medical education and research.
- To advance the interests of medicine and medical organizations.
- To foster scientific development and education in the field of medicine for the purpose of improving the quality of medicine and delivery of better health care, without regard to race, color, creed, sex or age.
- To facilitate a greater and better understanding and relations amongst Pakistani physicians and between them and the people of North America.
- To support the efforts of those who would preserve, protect and enhance the reputation and services of the medical profession in general and Pakistani physicians in particular.
- To assist newly arriving Pakistani physicians in orientation and adjustment.
- To institute ways and means to cooperate with other medical organizations in North America.
- To encourage medical education and delivery of better health care in Pakistan, specifically by arranging for donation of medical literature, medical supplies, and by arranging lecture tours, medical conferences, and seminars in Pakistan.
- To participate in medical relief and other charitable activities both in Pakistan and in North America.
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APPNA SEHAT
APPNA SEHAT (Scientific Educational Health Administrative Training) is a subsidiary of APPNA that was established in 1989 and registered as Social welfare organization. In Urdu sehat means health. The main purpose of APPNA SEHAT was to develop a low cost model which could address health and related problems effectively and efficiently and to implement practically low cost primary health care projects based on the model for poor and marginalized segments of rural communities. APPNA appointed a team of health experts to investigate the health situation in Pakistan. SEHAT developed Health Education based low cost practical model for rural communities. The approach is aiming at behavioral changes through education, guidance and capacity building through trainings. The proposed model of self-help is a process of transformation of marginalized, un-served, and looking for ‘dole-outs’ communities into effective, independent, self-sustaining communities, meeting most of their needs especially the primary health care needs. The model was pilot tested from 1989 to 1992 in four topographically and culturally diverse areas of Pakistan from mountains of NWFP through hills and planes of Punjab to deserts of Sindh. It launched its first ever Primary Health Care project in 1989 as pilot project with 16,357 people living in 2,200 households of 15 villages at four places Mardan, Murree, Sahiwal and Badin. Through the policy of graduation out, which is the premise of the program, all those units which were on APPNA SEHAT financial support for more than three years or more, have been graduated out. The finances so spared will be used to include new communities waiting for technical and social guidance to improve their life style. So far 37 units at all locations have been graduated out of program and added 16 new communities. [2]
