We rely on the news media to inform us about our world. Over the past few years, news headlines have drawn our attention to Iraq, Afghanistan and the Katrina-stricken U.S. Gulf Coast. We are all too familiar with news accounts about Asia’s tsunami and even local flooding in Chehalis and Centralia.

In addition to capturing the world’s attention, these emergencies also receive the bulk of the world’s financial aid, such as the hundreds of billions pledged by the U.S. government for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the billions pledged for tsunami relief from U.S. government resources and private international aid organizations.

These are the emergencies that get the headlines because of their enormity, their political consequence or their proximity to us.

They capture widespread public attention and resources.

But there are countless other emergencies around the globe with just as much, if not more, human devastation, affecting people who yearn for and deserve our attention. Persistent, unresolved conflicts which result in millions of displaced people who desperately need food, shelter, water/sanitation, health care and peace should also command the world’s attention and action.

Yet year after year these emergencies go unnoticed or ignored.

Although they are often called “silent” or “forgotten” disasters, I find that title to be too impersonal. I call their victims the Forgotten Sufferers.

Each year, the Reuters Foundation publishes an AlertNet fact sheet on the top-10 forgotten emergencies.

Over the years, despite some variations, the list remains strikingly and sadly consistent.

In countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and southern Sudan, millions of people have been suffering from conflict for more than 20 years.

Whole generations of children are growing up knowing nothing but displacement, violence and poverty.

Forgotten or ignored diseases also produce Forgotten Sufferers. The AIDS pandemic in Africa is affecting an entire continent and thwarting development progress.

And yet none of these tragedies tend to make today’s headlines.

What is to be done?

Fortunately, there are nongovernmental organizations, commonly known as NGOs, that are passionate about caring for these Forgotten Sufferers, whether or not they are in the public eye.

Many of these NGOs are located right here in the Pacific Northwest.

In fact, the Pacific Northwest is a world center of activity for addressing global health issues.

What were once thought to be intractable questions regarding the control of malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB and other diseases are now being answered through the work – much of it around the world – of NGOs from our region.

They have been involved in finding and delivering solutions, from bench-mark research to the formulation of public policy.

The relief organization World Vision, with international headquarters in Federal Way, is dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty.

Located in Seattle, Water 1st International serves families in the poorest communities in the world by planning and implementing community-managed projects that integrate water supply, sanitation and health education.

A Child’s Right is a nonprofit relief agency, based in Tacoma, that was formed by a collective of concerned professionals wishing to change the current living standards and health of impoverished children the world over.

A Child’s Right has installed UV water purification systems in Cambodia, China, Laos, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam and, in 2008, expects to install systems in Columbia, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Based in Seattle, PATH is a nonprofit dedicated to finding creative solutions for some of the world’s greatest challenges.

It is dedicated to addressing social problems, but also seeks ways to identify and change the systems or ideas that cause problems, often by applying business best-practices.

Fight for the Children was founded in Mount Vernon in 2006 to provide medical services and care for children globally by supporting the communities in which they live to fulfill their specific health goals.

Working with local health care providers, the FFTC goal is “a world where no child shall suffer from a preventable, treatable or curable illness.”

My own organization, Medical Teams International, is a relief and development organization with offices in Portland and Bellevue.

Since 1979, we have responded to humanitarian crises around the world with a focus on global health.

MTI seeks to alleviate human suffering, promote the development of health and medical services and facilitate the transformation of lives. One of our priorities is a focus on forgotten disasters.

We have sent millions of dollars worth of medical supplies and other humanitarian relief to bring aid where all hope is lost. MTI forms partnerships with in-country organizations to effectively and efficiently use our resources and to build our partners’ capacity through supplies, training and personnel – thus enhancing our mission to serve the vulnerable, poor and marginalized and increase our program’s sustainability.

Global awareness is important, but awareness is only the first step. It must lead to action.

What can one person do? As we pray for miracles we must work for solutions. Awareness requires a response.

We can educate others, advocate for the forgotten, give financial resources to our local NGOs and volunteer where appropriate.

No news is not always good news.

Let us raise our voices and efforts for those who have been suffering silently for far too long.

We all have a responsibility, and – collectively – we can work for positive change. The Forgotten Sufferers deserve nothing less than our full attention.

We can change the world.

Joe DiCarlo is director of emergency relief for Medical Teams International. He is responsible for the organization’s worldwide disaster response programs and has worked in such places as northern Uganda, Darfur, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iraq and in Mississippi and Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

global health symposium

What: Meet the Pacific Northwest NGOs mentioned in this article.

Where: Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center on Thursday and on the Pacific Lutheran University campus Friday at the symposium “Advances in Global Health by Non-Governmental Organizations.”

Who: The keynote address will be delivered by Stephen Lewis, co-director of AIDS-Free World and former U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS. The plenary address is by William Foege, senior fellow on health policy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Cost: No registration; free and open to the public.

When: Thursday’s symposium will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. The keynote address begins at 8 p.m.

Information: For a more detailed schedule, go to www.plu.edu/wangcenter/global-health/schedule.html.