Smoking Rates Dropping??

According to a recent article in the New York Times, smoking rates have dropped in Massachusetts. Interestingly enough, according the study, smoking rates have dropped from 38% to 28% amongst poor MA residents - - equivalent to approximately 300,000 residents in two-and-half years!

The Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program in MA provided Medicaid recipients from ages 18-64 antismoking drugs such as Chantix and bupropion for 180 days and 16 counseling sessions per year. Co-payments did not exceed $3.

Due to the success of this program, other states are thinking of following!

A great example of the 'gold standard'.

Read More.

CHAI & NAMI offer FREE Family-to-Family Educational Classes

CHAI is collaborating with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) to offer a FREE Family-to-Family educational program, understanding about mental illness and learning from other family members how to support a loved one coping with a mental illness. The class will will be co-facilitated by CHAI Board member, Asma Shaikh-Stewart.

The sessions will be held in Columbia, MD and will be
held January 7th-March 25th 2010; 7pm-9:30pm.
Call (410) 772-9300 and see attached flier for more details or go to
www.chaicounselors.org for more information

What Health Reform Might Mean for Women of Color??

What: Webinar

When: Wednesday, December 16 at 1pm (ET)

Why: Women tend to take the lead when it comes to obtaining health care for their family members. Provisions such as those that would preclude insurance companies from gender rating, remove barriers to car for pre-existing conditions, and improve access to preventive services will be discussed.

To register: http://www.kff.org/minorityhealth/todaystopics.cfm

McEpidemic Obesity

An interesting blog I follow is Wright on Health. In a post from his blog a few weeks back he discussed the "McEpidemic" concern in the US. He specifically cited a map that indicates where every McDonald's is located in the US. And then we wonder why we have obesity and cardiovascular problems....

Summer 2010 Internship Opportunity

GHFP is now accepting applications for its exciting Summer 2010 Internship
Program at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in
Washington, DC. All positions will be in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health.
Detailed information, including the online application and
instructions, isavailable at
www.ghfp.net. Applicants may apply for up to two internship opportunities.
Only online applications will be accepted and are due January 22, 2010.

South Asian Public Health Association

After many (many) years the South Asian Public Health Association finally has an updated website. Please refer to this website to see what is happening within our community!

I encourage you all to sign up and become members. As a board member I hope to see much change within this organization over the next few years!

http://www.sapha.org/

Indian Vegetarian Cooking

A good friend passed this wonderful website to me. It provides great, easy healthy vegetarian cooking

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/

Happy Cooking...

F.D.A to Clarify Nutrition Labels

The New York Times in October (sorry for the delayed post) reported the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to clarify food labels. Now this - would be good for South Asians, particularly individuals who may have a lower english-proficiency level.

The FDA proposes that by early 2010, companies must follow the standard of putting nutrition food labels on front of all food packaging. Thus, forcing manufacturers to provide consumers quick access to dietary information. According to the article, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the F.D.A. commissioner, said that under the changes being discussed, putting nutrition information on the front of packages would be voluntary. But if manufacturers chose to do so, then they would have to comply with the new F.D.A. rules.

Progress on Health Insurance Reform

I apologize for not blogging lately - it seems that I got caught up in life and have clearly missed on some great blogging materials. For one - Health Care Reform!!

Over the past few weeks - Health Care Reform has been exceedingly discussed (as should be) everywhere. Recently, SAALT provided a great summary of the update news...

Over the past few weeks, there have been numerous developments in health insurance reform. Below is a quick rundown of what has happened recently in Congress and the impact on immigrants living in the US.

• House of Representatives: The House of Representatives have merged three bills developed by various committees in the chamber. On Saturday, November 7th, the House passed its version of health reform which includes the public option; prevents insurance companies from discriminating based on gender or health status; expands Medicaid eligibility; prioritizes preventative care; allows undocumented immigrants to participate in the health insurance exchange by using their own money; and increases access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health services. In addition, the bill also prohibits public money from being spent on plans covering abortion, even if paid for with private premium dollars.
• Senate: Two Senate committees, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and Finance Committees, have developed their versions of reform. The Senate is expected to start debate sometime next week with a possible vote in December.

None of the bills currently include any provisions that would life the 5-year waiting period for legal immigrants to become eligible for Medicaid and CHIP. Another issue affecting immigrants being considered is whether to impose additional verification requirements on immigrants in order to access the health care system.

The Need for Affordable and Accessible Health Care

This blog is directly taken from SAALT's blog. I find it extremely invaluable in the work that we push forward and want to share thoughts of organizations with similar missions.

Posted by Vega in Community/Policy Connection, Policy, SAALT events on 10 20th, 2009 |

Did you know that as many as 40% of South Asians under 65 report not having a regular source for health care? Or that one-third of all South Asians worldwide has diabetes? Or that 90% of LGBT respondents in a Los Angeles study reported mental health issues? These are some of the startling statistics I learned at last week’s South Asian Health Reform Town Hall co-sponsored by SAALT, theSouth Asian Law Student Association at American University’s Washington College of Law, andCounselors Helping (South) Asians/Indians. Moderated by SAALT Policy Director Priya Murthy, a panel of three health care experts told stories and shared facts about the ways that our health care system and potential legislative solutions affect South Asian and immigrant communities.

The first presenter, Dr. Lavanya Sithandanam, shared heartbreaking stories from her pediatrics practice, such as informally treating serious illnesses of (undocumented immigrant) parents when they came to her office for their (U.S. citizen) child’s appointment, or watching parents of her patients die of treatable diseases simply because they could not afford health care – despite working several jobs in order to provide better lives for their children. She further demonstrated the broken nature of our health insurance/health care system, explaining how insurance companies are making doctors’ jobs more and more difficult by not covering basic preventive health care, by making the process of applying for reimbursements more and more complicated, and by covering fewer and fewer necessary costs such as basic vaccines. And we learned that most doctors support health care reform that includes a public option.

The second presenter, Sapna Pandya, MPH, works with immigrant communities on health care issues. The information she shared focused on the ways that South Asian community members face barriers to receiving health care, including concerns about their visa status, high costs associated with doctor or hospital visits, inadequate transportation options, and limited ability to read or understand English (and let’s face it, even those of us who were practically born reading English can barely make sense of long, complicated health forms filled with medical and legal jargon). She reminded us of the range of health issues that affect our communities, from diabetes and obesity to intimate-partner violence and mental health problems including depression, loneliness, and isolation.

The panel then turned to legislative solutions being offered through House and Senate bills. Alice Dong, Health Law Policy Staff Attorney at Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), provided information about the various bills that are being debated. For the past several months, essentially since August, bills have gotten more and more immigrant-unfriendly. For example, new immigrants must wait five full years before having access to Medicaid or Medicare – this includes infants, children, and the elderly, for whom five years is an incredibly long time to wait for health care. By the time these future Americans finally have access to affordable health care, their health conditions will be far worse than if they had had continuous access from the time they arrived. For undocumented immigrants, the situation foreshadowed by legislative proposals is even more dire, even if they are willing and able to pay for their own insurance. As Alice Dong put it, “politics has taken over logic” in our current health care debates.

From hearing individual stories of difficulties in health care to learning about the extent of structural and medical health disparities, I was moved to take action. Are you? If so, there are steps you can take to get involved and make your voice heard. You can contact your members of Congress to let them know that you support health insurance reform that is affordable and accessible to all.Thursday, October 22, is National Call Day for immigrant inclusion in health reform. Please take two minutes this Thursday to call Speaker Pelosi, NY Representative Rangel, and your Representative with the following message:

“I want Congress to end the five-year waiting period for legal immigrants in Medicaid. I expect Congress to follow New York’s good example and treat legal immigrants the same as citizens in health reform. I also think health reform should include everyone, but until that happens, the safety net health care system must be protected so that people who can’t afford to buy health insurance can still get the health care they need.”

You can reach Speaker Pelosi, Representative Rangel, and your Representative by calling 202- 224-3121. To find your Representative, go to http://www.house.gov/ and enter your zip code.

There are other ways you can get involved: you can join town halls and rallies in your local area; you can write an op-ed sharing your views on health reform; or you can share your own health care story with organizations such as AAJC that are working to collect and disseminate stories about health care issues and difficulties to Congress. And finally, make sure to stay informed and spread the word: you can find updated health reform fact sheets and other resources on SAALT’s website, www.saalt.org.

Health Reform Alert: Call Congress to Support Fair Treatment of Immigrants and Join a Webinar on Health Reform and South Asians

Want to learn more about health care issues affecting the South Asian community?

• Join a webinar on "Health Reform and the South Asian Community" on Monday, October 26th at 2 pm EST/1 pm CST/11 am PST to learn the latest from experts and discuss what it means for the South Asian community. Register for the webinar by clicking here. (After registering you will receive a confirmation email with a link and call-in information and access code. Before the webinar, click the link and call in to the number from your confirmation email. When prompted, enter the access code.)
• Check out two health reform factsheets developed by SAALT on "What You Need to Know about Health Insurance Reform" and "Health Care Issues Affecting South Asians in the United States"
• Learn more about health care issues affecting immigrants by visiting the APIA Health Forum's, the Asian American Justice Center's, and theNational Immigration Law Center's websites.

For additional information, contact SAALT at saalt@saalt.org.

So Much Going on at APHA

Here is a listing of just a few events...if you are at APHA they are GREAT networking events!

As I receive more information, I'll send them along..

Sunday Events:

South Asian Public Health Association Annual Dinner

Sunday, November 8th

TBD

www.sapha.org

Monday Events:

APHA Asian Pacific Islander (API) Caucus Student & Young Professionals Breakfast Meeting

Monday, November 9th, 6:30am - 8:00am

Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Regency C1 Ballroom

Event Details: studentrep@apicaucus.org

Tuesday Events:

Asian Pacific Islander (API) Caucus for Public Health

Tuesday, November 10th, 8:00pm-10:00pm

35th Anniversary Social Reception

Golden Phoenix Restaurant http://www.hkgolden.phoenix.com

Event Details: chair@apicaucus.org

Meatless Ground Meat with Peas (Kheema Muttar)

Meatless Ground Meat with Peas (http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/)

Ingredients

Onions, raw, 1 cup, chopped
Olive Oil, 1 tbsp
Garlic, 1 clove
*Gimme Lean Sausage Style, 7 oz
Peas, frozen, 0.5 cup
Cream Cheese, Fat Free, 60 grams
Cilantro, raw, 4 tbsp
Red Ripe Tomatoes, 1 cup, chopped
Ginger Root, 5 slices (1" dia), finely grated.
*Hot Green Chili Peppers, 1 pepper
Garam Masala powder, 1 tsp.

Directions

Heat olive oil in an iron clad sauce pan, brown chopped garlic, add chopped onions and stir till transparent. Add coarsely chopped 'Gimme Lean" ground meatless and brown. Add cream cheese, chopped tomatoes, peas, ginger, chilli peppers (chopped fine). Stir and cook for another 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and garam masala. Serve in a wrap, topped with greens or with roti or as a side dish with brown rice and dal.

If you use 12 oz Smart Ground original, use 1.5 times the recipe for everything else.

Variations: You can use cream cheese or yogurt or sour cream or cottage cheese. You can add 1/2 a cup of chopped scallions for garnish.

Calories per serving of Meatless Kheema Muttar (ground meat with peas)
35 calories of Gimme Lean Sausage Style, (1.17 oz)
20 calories of Olive Oil, (0.17 tbsp)
10 calories of Onions, raw, (0.17 cup, chopped)
10 calories of Cream Cheese, Fat Free, (10 grams)
9 calories of Peas, frozen, (0.08 cup)
6 calories of Red Ripe Tomatoes, (0.17 cup, chopped or sliced)
3 calories of Hot Chili Peppers, (0.17 pepper)
1 calories of Ginger Root, (0.83 slices (1" dia))
1 calories of Garlic, (0.17 clove)
0 calories of Cilantro, raw, (0.67 tbsp)

White House signs an Executive Order to Address Concerns Faced by AAPIs

On Oct 14th, President Obama signed an Executive Order that will address the concerns faced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. The Executive Order (first established by President Clinton 10 years ago and extended by President Bush in 2007) will create an Advisory Commission and White House initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Additionally, in the press statement released by the White House, President Obama indicated "...Given the strengths of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, for us to buy into the myth of the "model minority," and to overlook the very real challenges that certain Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are facing: from health disparities like higher rates of diabetes and Hepatitis B; to educational disparities that still exist in some communities --high school dropout rates, low college enrollment rates; to economic disparities -- higher rates of poverty in some communities, and barriers to employment and workplace advancement in others..."

DC Health Care Reform Town Hall for the South Asian Community: Thursday, Oct 15th

South Asian Health Reform Community Town Hall

Thursday, October 15, 2009

6:30pm - 7:45pm

American University - Washington College of Law

4801 Massachusetts Ave, NW (Room 602)

Join local community members for a town hall to learn the latest from experts on what's happening with health reform and discuss what it could mean for the South Asian Community

Location is metro accessible: Located near the Tenleytown Metro Station on the Red Line; Shuttle Service to WCL from tenleytown is available.

RSVP by Tuesday, Oct 13th: saalt@saalt.org

Information on HINI

The H1N1 Flu Vaccine will be available in about two weeks. One shot or aerosol for those aged 10 and above; two shots for those 6 months to 10 years. It is recommended especially for healthcare workers, pregnant women, and those caring for infants under 6 months. Ultimately, everyone should consider getting this vaccine.

The vaccine is being offered for free by the Federal Government. Your provider may charge your insurance an administration fee. Your city will have locations to get the vaccine for free if you do not have a provider.

Go to www.Flu.gov for the most up-to-date information. There is “Locator” link on the website to help you find a place near you to get the shot.

Note that H1N1 Flu is different from the seasonal flu, which kills thousands of people each year. The vaccine for the flu shot is already available and is recommended in addition to the H1N1 Flu shot.

Reminder: 5th Annual Asian American Health Conference

The 5th Annual Asian American Health Conference, "Reinvesting in Our communities for Health Equity", will be held next week, October 8th - 9th, 2009. I will be presenting a poster session "Review & Analysis of Community Based Organizations Impacting South Asian Health". I hope to see you there.

Conference Information:

Center for the Study of Asian American Health

5th Annual Asian American Health Conference

"Reinvesting in Our Communities for Health Equity"

October 8th – 9th, 2009

Farkas Auditorium, NYU Langone Medical Center

To find out more about this conference, please visit:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/csaah/events/conf2009.html
To register for this conference, please visit:
http://www.med.nyu.edu/csaah/events/eventregistration09.html

Conference Topics Include: Immigration; health literacy, language access, community basedparticipatory research; training research and health professional advocates; developingpartnerships across Asian American communities; and ensuring inclusion of APIs withinthe political system. Health issues of particular concern for APIs families to behighlighted include hepatitis B, cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, women’shealth, nutrition and mental health.

Recruiting Participants for South Asian Focus Groups in San Francisco

Earlier this summer I posted an opportunity for members of the South Asian community in Chicago to participate in study on understanding the knowledge and use of bidi's, paan, paan masala, guthka, and zarda. This opportunity is now available for South Asians living in the San Francisco Bay area.

The focus groups will be held in October 2009. Participants who meet the criteria for the the study will be paid #30 for their time (approximately 1.5 hours). In addition, light refreshments (e.g., chaat) will be served.

Interested? Please contact:

Arnab Mukerjea, MPH

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Candidate

School of Public Health

University of California, Berkeley

Phone: 510.397.0827

Email: amukerjea@cal.berkeley.edu

Essay Contest: How Can We Fix Our Health Care System?

The Asian American Action-fund Blog (AAA) is sponsoring an essay contest centered around the healthcare debate. Specifically, how do we fix our system?

Please send your blog post on the following topic:

How can we fix our healthcare system so that everyone can get access to quality, affordable healthcare? Please share your thoughts and personal stories on why we need healthcare reform now (500 words or less).

How to Enter:

Please send entries to Richer Chen: rchen@aaa-fund.org

Deadline: September 25, 2009 at 8pm (EST)

Prizes are as follow:

First Place: One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150), 2 free tickets to the 2010 AAA-Fund Gala (a $200 value), and an exclusive invitation to become a featured AAA-Fund Blogger

Second Place: 2 free tickets to the 2010 AAA-Fund Gala (a $200 value), and an exclusive invitation to become a featured AAA-Fund Blogger

Third Place: Lunch with a AAA-Fund leader, and an exclusive invitation to become a featured AAA-Fund Blogger

Uninsured in 2008 reaches 46.3 million

According to HealthLeaders Media, the number of uninsured people in the United States reached 46.3 million in 2008. A representation of 15.4% of the U.S. population. The report further identified the following statistics:

• Among the foreign-born population, the uninsured rates for both naturalized citizens (18%) and non-citizens (44.7%) was statistically unchanged.
• The Northeast and Midwest, each at 11.6% had lower uninsured rates than the West (17.4%) and (18.2%)
• The number of people with health insurance increased from 25.3 million in 2007 to 255.1 million in 2008.
• Between 2007 and 2008, the number of people covered by private health insurance decreased from 202 million to 201 million, while the number covered by government health insurance climbed from 83 million to 87.4 million. The number covered by employment-based health insurance declined from 177.4 million to 176.3 million.
• The number of uninsured children declined from 8.1 million (11%) in 2007 to 7.3 million (9.9%) in 2008. Both the uninsured rate and number of uninsured children were the lowest since 1987, the first year that comparable health insure data were collected.
• Although the uninsured rate for children in poverty declined form 17.6% in 2007 to 15.7% in 2008, children in poverty were more likely to be uninsured than all children.

President Obama's Speech on Health Care - Talking Points

In case you missed President Obama's Address to the Joint Session of Congress on Health Care on Wednesday, September 9, 2209...the following are talking points:

When the President is finished speaking tonight, everyone who listens will understand that hisplan has at its core two overriding goals: to bring stability and security to Americans who haveinsurance today, and affordable coverage to those who don’t.

• The President’s plan will bring reforms that will reduce the unsustainable growth in thecost of health care, which has doubled in the last decade and will continue to rise at thatuntenable pace unless we act.

From the beginning of this process, the President has said that he believes reform should bebipartisan. And the plan he outlines tonight will be consistent with that goal – it will containRepublican proposals and Democratic proposals.

• So the Republicans will have to decide whether they are genuine in their wish to work ina bipartisan manner, or whether they will continue to vote against proposals they havesaid are key to reform.

He will clearly lay out what health reform means to Americans – both those that have insurancenow and those that don’t. He will also be clear about what health reform doesn’t mean –clearing up the confusion that has been fomented by the special interests and defenders of thestatus quo.

• He will also answer the big questions about how to move the health reform process forward andmake clear exactly what he considers real reform to be.

It is important to recognize how far we have come.

• Four of the five House and Senate committees have marked up bills. Today SenatorBaucus, who chairs the fifth committee, announced that his committee will move tomarkup shortly. Among those bills there is, essentially, 80 percent agreement, and eachof them is in line with the principles the President has laid out.

We are entering a new phase in the debate.

• Now is the time to begin pulling together the various strands of the bills that have beenwritten and the solutions that have been proposed to create a final product that lowerscosts, ensures that Americans cannot be denied coverage because they get sick, andprovides access to affordable health care for all.
• As the President will say tonight, he is not the first president to take up the cause of health reform but he is determined to be the last.

Members heard a lot from their constituents over August – including stories from people whoare struggling with the rising cost of health care or who have been denied coverage becausethey or someone in their family got sick. One thing has become crystal clear to any memberwho really spent time talking to constituents last month: Doing nothing is not an option.

After this speech, opponents of health reform will need to either propose their own plan orexplain why they think it is best to do nothing while health care costs continue to rise 3 timesfaster than wage, millions of Americans continue to be denied coverage because they got sick,and insecurity continues to grow. In just 2 years, 1 in 3 Americans experienced a gap incoverage. What the President will offer the country is stability and security in our healthinsurance system.

On Gov. Palin’s Attacks:

• Every non partisan organization that has looked at her claims says they are false. And the ideasin her op‐ed are both scary and risky. Eliminating Medicare and giving our seniors vouchersinstead is a bad idea that we shouldn’t adopt.

What the Doctor Says...

CNNhealth.com today printed helpful pieces of information from various medical specialists. Enjoy....

The Oncologist...
Turn the grill down - when meat is charred at higher temperatures, amino acids in the meat breakdown and form carcinogens
Adopt a furry friend - animals produce endorphins and decreases the stress hormone cortisol
Have a European Lunch -

The Gynecologist....
Don't play the doctor
Reconsider the pill
Take a bathroom break

The Dentist...
Eat your antioxidants - they help protect your teeth and gums from inflamming
Limit Lemons - the high high acid content can wear away tooth enamel
Soften Up - Hard-bristle brushes can abrade tooth enamel and cause gum recession

The Podiatrist...
Size yourself up - Have your feet measured every few years
Change your shoes
Banish bear feet -

The Cardiologist...
Do some navel-grazing - storing fat around your belly is linked with a higher risk of heart disease
Take your numbers - know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers, especially if you are over the age of 35
Go (a little) nuts - Have a handful of walnuts a few times a week

The Sports-Medicine Doctor...
Risk making a fool of yourself - do physical activities that will challenge you; change up your exercises
Get your rear in gear
Buy new sneakers

The Neurologist...
Use it or lose it - play puzzles, crosswards, and sudoko
Put stress in its place - chronic stress shrinks the memory in the brain, and the stress hormone cortisol can hamper a person's learning ability and recall
Swirl some red - Choose a glass of red wine over white, however, having more than 1 glass (for women) or 2 glasses (for men) can increase your risk of cancer and other diseases

The Spine Surgeon...
Work your core to save your back
Move in close - when picking something up from the floor, stand close to the object, get low, then lift
Don't sit still

The Psychologist...
Be selfish - learn about yourself
Hit the party circut - seek out events where you'll connect with people you care for
Get high on exercise -

The Family Physician...
Let your birthday be a health reminder
Come in with an agenda
Powwow with the family - stay on top of your family's health

Soda & Juice - Targets to Fighting Obesity

A recent article in the New York Times, "New Targets in the Fat Fight: Soda and Juice" indicated that New York has decided against taxing soda's and juice. However, to continue working against the struggle of high-calorie beverages, New York City's Public Health Officials have unveiled an ad campaign that "depicts globs of human fat gushing from a soda bottle."

A number of opinions have been stated including pros and cons of this add. What do you all think? SAHEP would love to hear your comments!

APIC Best Published Paper Award - Call for Submissions (Due 9/14)

The Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health (API Caucus) as recognized by the American Public Health Association (APHA) is pleased to announce the Fifth Annual Best Published Paper Award. The award is to recognize achievement in the field of public health as it applies to Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander issues.
 
This award will be presented, along with the Best Student Abstract Award, at the 2009 APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Philadelphia , PA on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at the API Caucus Social Reception.  To find out more about API Caucus events during the APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition, please visit http://www.apicaucus.org/apha/

Family Services Walkathon

Walk to Stop Domestic Violence on October 3, 2009.  Please register today or sponsor our event at http://www.maifs.dojiggy.com and invite your family, friends, and colleagues to do the same.
MAi FAMILY depends on your contributions for safe housing, legal fees, groceries, and other services for our clients.  Please donate with an open heart. 

Indo-US Global Health Symposium & Dinner: September 26th in IL

Saturday, September 26, 2009 

Time: 6:00PM 

Waterford Banquets 

933 South Riverside Drive, Elmhurst, IL 

 

Symposium on Global Health - 1 PM to 5 PM 

Cocktail Reception - 6 PM to 7 PM 

Awards Ceremony -  7 PM 

followed by Dinner and Entertainment 

$100 per person 

www.ichhaindia.org/summit   - 708-707-4428

Tandoori Grilled Shrimp - Diabetes Friendly Recipe

Tandoori Grilled Shrimp
Serves Four
http://www.dlife.com/

Ingredients:
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) piece ginger, peeled and sliced - Juice of 1 lime
1/4teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground turmeric
2teaspoons (10 ml) ground cumin
1/4teaspoon (1.25 ml) kosher salt (optional)
1/4 to 1/2teaspoon (1.25 to 2.5 ml) crushed dried red pepper flakes
8ounces (240 g) nonfat plain yogurt
1pound (480 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Paprika for garnish
Vegetable cooking spray
Fresh lime wedges for garnish

Method:

1. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, or a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, lime juice, turmeric, cumin, salt, red pepper flakes, and yogurt. Blend well and place in a glass bowl until ready to use.
2. One hour before grilling, place the shrimp into the yogurt marinade.
3. Soak wooden skewers in warm water to prevent burning. Place the shrimp on the skewers. Sprinkle the top of shrimp with paprika and grill, 4 to 6 inches from source of heat, on a rack that you have lightly coated with cooking spray for one minute. Carefully turn, sprinkle with paprika and grill until shrimp are cooked through, another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Place shrimp on platter with fresh lime wedges and serve immediately.

Per serving :110 calories (9% calories from fat), 18 g protein, 1 g total fat (0.2 g saturated fat), 6 g carbohydrates, 0 dietary fiber, 136 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium

Diabetic exchanges:2 1/2 very lean protein, 1/2 carbohydrate (skim milk)

Breast Cancer Linked with Reducing Incidence of Breast Cancer Among Women at Higher Risk

A recent article in the New York Times reported that evidence shows breastfeeding is associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer among a group of younger women who are at a particularly high risk: those with breast cancer in the family.

Historically breastfeeding has been linked to better health of the babies, however, recently studies have also proven longer-term advantages of women who breast feed. Studies have found that women who breast-feed are also less likely to develop osteoporisis, ovarian cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease, all of which are prevalent among South Asian women.

McDonald's Ad's in Hindi...?!?!

Many of you may already know this but it recently came to my attention that McDonald's is advertising to Desis with mailers that say "Taste ki baat hai!". While I understand it is a business...I fear that as organizations and individuals work towards implementing better health practices - we are yet again fighting against the marketing power....

Read more: http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/005760.html

Maternal Mortality Remains High in India, Despite Slow Decline

The Guttmacher Institute released a report, Barriers to Safe Motherhood in India, on July 29th indicating that although maternal mortality in India seems to be declining, it remains unacceptably high. Highlights from the report include:

• India contributes nearly one-quarter of the world's maternal deaths, so its insufficient progress in reducing maternal mortality imperils not only its own targets, but also the global achievement of the Millennium Development Goal to reduce maternal mortality by 75% from 1990 levels by 2015.
• A recent decline in fertility has greatly helped to lower the number of Indian women dying from these causes and their lifetime risk of maternal death.
• Hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death in India; it is responsible for nearly two-fifths of all maternal deaths and thus accounts for half of the direct causes.
• Women's receipt of any professional pre-natal or delivery care has increased dramatically - - by one-half and one-third, respectively.
• Recently enacted programs to improve the safety of pregnancy and childbirth are likely behind the substantial increase in the proportion of women attended by trained professionals at delivery.

What does this report mean for Indian women living abroad, specifically in a time where money and resources can be more scarce?

Community-Based Health Centers Could Save States Millions of Dollars

According to recent study conducted by The George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services - - "Community Health Centers in Indiana: State Investments and Returns" - - these key findings indicate the importance of health care centers in the U.S., particularly to vulnerable populations:

1. For every dollar spent on patient care at an Indiana Community Health Center, $1.90 is saved in overall health care spending when compared with other primary care settings.
2. Indiana CHCs effectively target a population that is economically stressed and financially and medically at risk. Approximately nine in 10CHC patients have incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level(FPL).
3. Health care services provided at Indiana CHCs are less costly than those provided at other outpatient provider settings, with an annual per-patient cost of $1,529 at CHCs versus $2,924 in other settings --resulting in a savings of $1,395 per patient.
4. Lower medical costs resulted in savings of $473 million for Indiana’s health care system realized through the lower cost of health care in ambulatory health center settings as well as reduced spending on hospital emergency room utilization and a lower rate of in-patient hospital admission.
5. In addition to direct savings to the health care system, each dollar spent by the state on I-CHCs is associated with between $6 and $17 of value, in terms of revenues generated from all sources for the delivery of services at I-CHCs.

Although the report is focused in Indiana, the results show they have implications in all states.

To access the report, please visit: http://www.gwumc.edu/sphhs/departments/healthpolicy/dhp_publications/pub_uploads/dhpPublication_A7BA8B9A-5056-9D20-3D3852F88AC4EF03.pdf

Call for Abstracts: Global Health & Innovation Conference

Registration (Early Bird Rate) and Abstract Submission Now Open.

GH/Innovate 2010
Global Health & Innovation Conference
Presented by Unite For Sight
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
Saturday, April 17 - Sunday, April 18, 2010

Registration Now Open (Early Bird Registration Rate): http://www.ghinnovate.org/

Call For Abstracts: Submit an abstract online at http://www.ghinnovate.org/
The first deadline for abstract submission is August 15. The final abstract deadline is September 20.

"A Meeting of Minds"?CNN

200 speakers <http://www.ghinnovate.org/speakers>, including keynote addresses by Seth Godin, Jeffrey Sachs and Sonia Sachs. Social innovation sessions by CEOs and Directors of Acumen Fund, Partners in Health, WaterPartners, Save The Children, HealthStore Foundation, and many others.

Asian American Health Conference - Save the Date

The Center for the Study of Asian American Health hosts the 

5th Annual Asian American Health Conference

Reinvesting In Our Communities for Health Equity

October 8-9, 2009

For more information: http://www.med.nyu.edu/csaah/events/conf2009.html

How Health Insurance Reform Will Help Minorities

Below is information that came from the White House Office of Public Engagement on how health reform affects minorities. 

Lower Costs for Minority Families

Preventive Care for Better Health:  Racial and ethnic minorities are often less likely to receive preventive care. Vietnamese women, for example, are half as likely to receive a pap smear, and twice as likely to die from cervical cancer as are Whites. Obesity rates are also high among certain minority groups.  By ensuring all Americans have access to preventive care and by investing in public health, health insurance reform will work to create a system that prevents illness and disease instead of just treating it when it’s too late and costs more. 

Greater Choices

More Affordable Choices and Competition: African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians are all more likely to need a referral in order to see a specialist and they are less likely to get coverage for seeing a doctor outside of the insurance network. Health insurance reform will create a health insurance exchange so you can compare prices and health plans and decide which quality affordable option is right for you and your family.  It will include a competitive public option that increases choices and holds private insurers accountable.  

Quality, Affordable Health Care for Minorities

Eliminate Discrimination in Obtaining Health Insurance:  Health insurance reform will prevent any insurance company from denying coverage based on a person’s medical history, including genetic discrimination, which can disproportionately hurt minority populations.

Make Health Care Accessible to Everyone: African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are roughly twice as likely to be uninsured as the rest of the population.  By providing health insurance choices to all Americans and providing premium assistance to make it affordable, health insurance reform will significantly reduce disparities in accessing high- quality health care.

Control Chronic Disease:   Nearly half of African Americans suffer from a chronic disease, compared with 40% of the general population.  Chronic illness is growing in other minority communities as well.  Health insurance reform includes a number of programs to prevent and control chronic disease, including incentives to provide medical homes and chronic disease management pilots in Medicare. 

Promote Primary Care: By providing health insurance choices through a health insurance exchange and investing in the primary care workforce (including scholarships and grants to increase diversity in health professions), health reform will make sure that all Americans have access to a primary care doctor so they stay healthier, longer.  It will also strengthen the system of safety-net hospitals and community health centers to ensure high-quality, accessible care.

Fight Health Disparities:  Health reform legislation will require any health care program to report on race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status in order to better understand health disparities, and devote funding to addressing these issues.

Healthy Phirni Alternative (Dessert)

I've made this myself and it's very, very good!

Gur Aur Akhrot Ki Phirni (Sanjeev Kapoor, Khana Khazana)

Ingredients

Brown rice, soaked ¼ cup
Jaggery (gur), grated 4 tablespoons
Walnut kernels ½ cup (Sweta's Note: You can substitute with Almonds and/or Pistachios)
Skimmed milk 5 cups (Sweta's Note: You can also substitute soy milk)
Green cardamom powder ½ teaspoon

Method

1. Drain the rice and grind to a thick paste. Coarsely crush the walnuts, keeping a few aside for garnish.
2. Heat the milk in a deep pan. Add the ground rice and cook, stirring continuously, till the rice is cooked and the mixture is thick enough.
3. Add the green cardamom powder and mix. Add the walnuts and mix.
4. Take it off the heat and add the jaggery and stir till the jaggery dissolves completely.
5. Pour the phirni into earthenware bowls (kasore) and let it cool. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
6. Garnish with a halved walnut in each bowl and serve.

South Asian Communities & Cancer: Raising Awareness, Facing Challenges, Assessing Resources

South Asian Communities & Cancer

Raising Awareness, Facing Challenges, Accessing Resources

Saturday, July 25, 2009

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (Los Angeles, CA)

9:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m

FREE

Morning Session: Impact of Cancer on South Asians

Sharing stories of Courage: Cancer Survivors and Their Families

Afternoon Session: Making A Difference - Cancers Affecting South Asians

Discussion includes Ovarian Cancer, Breast & Cervical Cancer, and Colorectal Cancer

Venue Location:

USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center

1450 Biggy St, LG Level

Los Angeles, CA 90033

Recipe: Lamb Kofta

Recipe: Lamb Kofta
from Rice of Life by Ameet Maturu

Serves 4

1 lb ground lamb ( grass-fed)
3/4 cup quinoa, cooked
1 egg, beaten
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
1 tsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
pinch ground cinnamonsalt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Combine lamb and remaining ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Roll into 8-16 meatballs, of desired size. Put in rectangular baking pan and bake for about 12 minutes.

Recruiting Participants for South Asian Focus Groups in Chicago

A Ph.D candidate at the University of California, Berkeley is conducting a study for his dissertation on understanding the knowledge and use of certain products (bidi's, paan, paan masala, guthka, zarda) by members of the South Asian community in Chicago. The research protocol has beeen approved by the institution's Internal Review Board (committee for protection of human subject's). This study is funded by the National Cancer Institute via a sub-award from the University of California, Davis Cancer Center.

The focus groups (approximately eight individuals in each group) will be held between July 25, 2009 and August 1, 2009, at either the Devon Bank or at the Indo-American Center in Chicago. Participants who meet the criteria for the study will be paid $30 for their time (approximately 1.5 hours). In addition, light refreshments (e.g. chaat) will be served at the focus groups.

Friends, family and/or colleagues that are interested, please contact:
Arnab Mukherjea, MPH
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Candidate
School of Public Health
University of California, Berkeley
Phone: 510.397.0827
Email: amukherjea@cal.berkeley.edu

Health Care Reform

SAALT recently provided a summary of the current state of Obama's proposal for Health Care Reform and how it affects low-income patients and South Asian Americans:

Congress and the White House have made health care reform one of their top priorities. President Obama's proposal for health care reform includes health insurance exchange program that includes "public option" (where low-income patients can choose their own doctors but the government will assist with the expense) and increasing primary care medical services to promote prevention treatments and reduce unnecessary medical procedures.

Recently, there has been a flurry of activity and bill drafting happening in Congress. Three committees in the House of Representatives have presented a discussion draft of health care reform legislation that includes a requirement that all individuals obtain health insurance; a health insurance exchange; a public health insurance option; and improvements to Medicaid and Medicare. The Senate has also been working on the "Affordable Health Choices Act," which includes provisions addressing the choice of coverage options; reduction of health care costs; prevention; modernization of health systems and long term care and services. Negotiations have been underway in the Senate to cut costs within the proposal by reducing subsidies for low-income uninsured populations.

One of the most pressing issues affecting South Asians is health care. In fact, approximately 20 percent of South Asians lack health coverage plans leaving affordable health care out of reach for many community members. In addition, linguistic and cultural barriers prevent many limited English proficient South Asians from being able to communicate effectively with health care professionals and obtain emergency assistance when needed. Community members are encouraged to contact Congress and express support for health care coverage for all, funding for culturally competent and lingustically accessible health care services, and ensuring access to Medicare and Medicaid for non-citizens.

National AIDS Strategy Call/Webinar- Wednesday, July 8, 2009

National AIDS Strategy Call/Webinar

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

2:00pm-3:00pm (PST)

The National Office of AIDS Policy is charged with developing the strategy. The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) is hosting a conference call/webinar about the National AIDS Strategy. Agenda for this call includes:

• Share information regarding perspectives from the broader advocacy community regarding the National AIDS Strategy
• Provide updates on current plans/progress
• Discuss potential implicatons and next steps for the Asian Ameican, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community.

If you are interested in attending, please register by clicking on the link below. https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/821154027
Dial-in information for the call and log-in information for the webinar will be emailed to you upon registration.

For more information, please contact:
Ed Tepporn
HIV Program Director
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Direct Line: (415) 568-3309
Email: etepporn@apiahf.org

Obesity Lead to Pancreatic Cancer Risk?

The New York Times Health section highlighted a study soon to be published in The Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that obesity accounts for 27 percent of the pancreatic cancer risk. Smoking and diabetes also increased the risk of pancreatic cancer, however, obesity was the leading cause.

In 2000, the South Asian Public Health Association published a Brown Paper reporting obesity as a leading chronic disease concern amongst South Asian Americans. With now obesity being a factor in pancreatic cancer, what does this mean for SAA?

Immigrants Denied U.S. Visa's Due to HIV/AIDS Status

The New York Times today highlighted a Human Rights Watch report which indicates that immigrants are being discriminated against receiving U.S. visa's because they have AIDS. According to the report, "about a third of the world's countries limit the right of people with HIV to enter or stay, even if their disease is controlled with drugs. Although the report does not focus on South Asian countries, with an increased rate of HIV/AIDS, particularly in India, this report highlights the health disparities among individuals suffering from the disease.

"The Myth of the Burdensome Immigrants"

In the May edition of SAMAR magazine Sapna Pandya and Prantik Saha published an article on "Xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments situate South Asian and other immigrant communities as burdens on the health care system, missing the barriers, racism and classism they experience. To meet the needs of immigrant workers, these structural inequalities need to be addressed and considered in proposals for US health care reform."

For more information and to read the entire report, please visit: http://www.samarmagazine.org/archive/article.php?id=291 

CATCH Leadership Training: July 9-11, 2009

Community Advocacy & Training on Cancer & Health (CATCH)

Leadership Training

July 9-11, 2009

Orange County, California

Registration: FREE

Location: St. Joseph Hospital

Center for Cancer Prevention & Treatment

Deadlines: July 2, 2009

This 2 1/2 day training offers Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, community members, and health advocates the opportunity to learn how to:

• Provide individuals, groups and communities with the necessary training, tools, and skills to be competent, confident, and effective spokespersons, advocates, and leaders with regard to AA and NHPI communities.
  
• Enhance personal and community capacities for advocacy and leadership on cancer control issues across the cancer care continuum.

RSVP: July 2, 2009 

Contact Mavis for more details: 415.568.3311 or cdprogram@apiahf.org

Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health: Call for Nominations

Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health

Call for Nominations: Deadline June 26, 2009

The Asian Pacific Islander Caucus for Public Health in official relations with the American Public Health Association (APHA) is seeking nominations for the following Executive Committee positions for the term starting November 2009:

• Chair-Elect (2-year term)
  
• Program Chair-Elect (2-year term)
  
• Communications Chair (2-year term)
  
• Membership Chair (2-year term)
• Treasurer (2-year term)
• Student Representative (1-year term)
• Caucus Councilor (2 openings; 2-year term)

These positions offer the opportunity to actively participate in a national-level organization with the specific goal to address the public health issues of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Positions are filled on a voluntary basis and require serving as an Executive Committee member of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus. Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. All terms will begin at the conclusion of this year's APHA annual meeting in November 2009. 

Please submit name and a brief bio for nominated (or self-nominated) individuals to Fahina Tavake-Pasi at secretary@apicaucus.org by 11:59pm (ET) Friday, June 26, 2009.

Race for the Cure - THANK YOU

Thank you all for those that supported Team SAHEP in the Race for the Cure! With your help we were able to raise more than $2300 towards Susan G. Komen and have a team of close to 10 people at the race. SAHEP appreciates everyone's support.

Please keep an eye out for future SAHEP events

National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum,
NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health,
The Chinese American Planning Council,
The Family Health Project and
Project CHARGE

Invite you

National Asian and Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
1: 00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

NYU School of Medicine
Schwartz Lecture Hall
E401 East 30 Street (Between First Avenue & FDR)
New York, NY 10016

1st EVER South Asian & Diabetes Conference

The Friedman Diabetes Institute of Beth Isreal Medical Center and the South Asian Health Initiative (SAHI) of the New York Center for Immigrant Health present a roundtable

"South Asians & Diabetes"

When: Wednesday, May 20, 2009,
Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: Podell Auditorium, Bernstein Pavillon, Beth Isreal Medical Center (First Avenue and 6th)

For more information, contact Claire O'Conner at oconnerpr@aol.com or 212.245.5784

Unemployment Hazardous to Your Health?

According to a New York Times article posted on May 8, 2009, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed employment and health data from 8,125 individuals surveyed in 1999, 2001, and 2003 by the U.S. Panel of Income Dynamics. The report indicated that individuals who lost their job (at no fault of their own), were twice as likely to report developing illness such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, compared to individuals who were continually employed.

Interestingly enough, these illness are also considering the leading causes of mortality among South Asian Americans. What does this mean for the South Asian Community? What does this mean for undocumented South Asian Americans?

5th Annual Asian American Health Conference: CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health is currently seeking abstracts for the 5th Annual Asian American Health Conference to be held in New York City from October 8-9, 2009. In this time of unprecedented economic crisis and uncertainty, people who are poor, sick, uninsured and underinsured, and who do not know how to access resources are most severely impacted by economic downturn. The theme of this year's conference, “Reinvesting in Our Communities for Health Equity” - provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of making continuous investments in our communities to address issues of inequity and provide linkages to resources for healthier communities. Topics of Interest include:

• Leveraging Resources Through Partnership Building
  
• Translating Research into Action
  
• Organizing & Advocating for Policy Changes
  
• Fostering Opportunities in Research, Training, & Leadership
  

Submission Deadline: June 3, 2009 before midnight EST

Please visit our website at www.med.nyu.edu/csaah for conference details and updates or email nyucsaah@gmail.com.

Federal Health and Community Leaders Join Forces to Provide Critical Information to Asian American & Pacific Islander Communities on the H1N1 Flu

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF); the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health (OMH); the National Council of Asian and Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP); and the Association of Asian and Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO), have joined together to inform Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities about the H1N1 flu virus and precautions they can take to minimize the spread of the virus.

H1N1 (previously referred to as “swine flu”) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people.  This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.  OMH, APIAHF, NCAPIP, and AAPCHO are working together to ensure timely, accurate, and appropriate information about the H1N1 flu is effectively communicated to AAPI communities .

Dr. Garth Graham, Director of OMH explained that symptoms of H1N1 flu are similar to symptoms of seasonal flu with fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue.  Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting. Individuals who experience severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest or abdominal pain, sudden dizziness, or persistent vomiting, should seek immediate medical attention. “The H1N1 flu can be transmitted through coughing and sneezing, or touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching the mouths, eyes, or noses.  Individuals are not at risk for the H1N1 virus through food transmission or by eating pork products,” said Dr. Wilson Ko, President of the Chinese American Medical Society and member of NCAPIP.
 
OMH, APIAHF, NCAPIP, and AAPCHO are working closely together to monitor the situation and convey critical information to not only AAPI health care networks, but also to community social networks.  This is an important step given that AAPI communities experience linguistic and access to care barriers.  Census 2000 revealed that 73% of Asian Americans and 35% of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders spoke a language other than English at home.
 
Having limited English proficiency tremendously impacts access to health information and services.  Nonelderly AAPIs are more likely to be without a usual source of care compared to non-Hispanic Whites; while rates differ among AAPI populations, 20% of Asian Indians lack a usual source of care.  “We want to let our communities, health care providers, community health leaders, and all individuals who are in contact with AAPI communities know that appropriately translated materials are available in a number of Asian and Pacific Islander languages including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Punjabi, among others,” said Dr. Ho Luong Tran, President and CEO of APIAHF.  “We are working with AAPI organizations throughout our local networks to compile and disseminate linguistically appropriate information about the H1N1 flu.”

The HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) goals during this public health emergency are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to assist health care providers, public health officials and the public in addressing the challenges posed by this newly identified influenza virus.

Mr. Jeff Caballero, Executive Director of AAPCHO, urged everyone to follow the CDC prevention guidelines and take these everyday steps to protect their health and lessen the spread of this new virus:
Ø      Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. 
Ø      Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. 
Ø      Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way. 
Ø      Try to avoid close contact with sick people. 
Ø      If you are sick with a flu-like illness, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.  This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further. 
Ø      Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Ø      If you don’t have one yet, consider developing a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of extra food, medicines, facemasks and other essential supplies.

Dr. Ho Luong Tran commented that there are two influenza antiviral medications that are recommended for use against H1N1 influenza.  These are oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu ® and zanamivir (Relenza ®).  The priority use for influenza antiviral drugs during this outbreak is to treat severe influenza illness.

For more information on the H1N1 flu and what can be done to protect against it, visit the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).

For information on translated educational materials, contact APIAHF at 415-954-9988.

Prevalence of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Indians in the U.S.

Two articles from 2004 show an increased prevalence of diabetes within the Asian Indian population compared to Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics in two separate cohorts in the U.S. The investigators who wrote the article which also studied CVD found no apparent increase in prevalence or risk. There are limited studies regarding chronic conditions in South Asians in the United States; the majority of studies pertaining to chronic conditions in South Asians to date have been done in the United Kingdom or Canada.

The abstracts and citations of the two studies are provided below.

1. Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and Related Conditions in Asian Indians Living in the United States

Rajesh Venkataraman, MD, MPH, Navin C. Nanda, MD, Gurpreet Baweja, MD, Naresh Parikh, MD, and Vishal Bhatia, MD

This study is the first attempt to evaluate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and related conditions in Asian Indians living in the United States. A community- based survey of 1,046 Asian Indian immigrants living in and around the Atlanta metro area of Georgia was conducted and found an overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus of 18.3% (22.5% in men and 13.6% in women). This prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Asian Indians is much higher than in whites, blacks, and Hispanics living in the United States.

2004 by Excerpta Medica, Inc. (Am J Cardiol 2004;94:977–980)
• • •
From the Division of Cardiovascular Disease, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Nanda’s address is: The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Heart Station/ Echocardiography Laboratories, 619 South 19th Street, SW-S102, Birmingham, Alabama 35249. E-mail: nanda@uab.edu. Manuscript received April 2, 2004; revised manuscript received and accepted June 16, 2004.

2. Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Among Asian Indians in the United States
Sarita A. Mohanty, MD, MPH,1 Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH,2 David U. Himmelstein,2 MD,
David H. Bor, MD2

1Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric and General Internal Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA;
2Department of Medicine, Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA.

CONTEXT: Studies, mostly from outside the United States, have found high prevalence of diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), and hypertension among Asian Indians, despite low rates of associated risk factors.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, CHD, hypertension, and other associated risk factors among Asian Indians in the United States compared to non-Hispanic whites.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND SUBJECTS: Cross-sectional study using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. We analyzed 87,846 non-Hispanic whites and 555 Asian Indians.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Whether a subject reported having diabetes, CHD, or hypertension.
RESULTS: Asian Indians had lower average body mass indices (BMIs) than non-Hispanic whites and lower rates of tobacco use, but were less physically active. In multivariate analysis controlling for age and BMI, Asian Indians had significantly higher odds of borderline or overt diabetes (adjusted OR [AOR], 2.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72 to 4.23). Multivariate analysis also showed that Asian Indians had nonsignificantly lower odds ratios for CHD (AOR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.25 to 1.35) and significantly lower odds of reporting hypertension (AOR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.82) compared to non-Hispanic whites.
CONCLUSION: Asian Indians in the United States have higher odds of being diabetic despite lower rates of obesity. Unlike studies on Asian Indians in India and the United Kingdom, we found no evidence of an elevated risk of CHD or hypertension. We need more reliable national data on Asian Indians to understand their particular health behaviors and cardiovascular risks. Research and preventive efforts should focus on reducing diabetes among Asian Indians.
KEY WORDS: Asian Indian; diabetes; coronary heart disease; hypertension; obesity.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.40294.x
J GEN INTERN MED 2005; 20:474–478.

H1N1 Information Available in Different South Asian Languages

For more information regarding the 2009 H1N1 Flu in Tagalog, Punjabi, or Tamil, please visit: http://www.toronto.ca/health/cdc/h1n1/index.htm

For more information regarding the 2009 H1N1 Flu in Bengali or Urdu, please visit: http://schools.nyc.gov/Home/Spotlight/swine.htm

2009 H1N1 Flu "Swine Flu"

In response to the recent outbreak of the "2009 H1N1 Flu", the following message provides additional information about the situation and offers steps you can take to help prevent the spread of the influenza.

There are currently eight suspected cases of swine flu in the MD/DC/VA region, although cases have been identified in several other states in the United States as well as in other countries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are diligently investigating the outbreaks to better understand the disease and its transmission.

The following is a brief summary of information released by public health officials:

What do we know?

*The 2009 H1N1 virus is a new influenza virus that contains genetic pieces from four different virus sources. Today (5/3/09), CDC has reported 226 human cases, more hospitalizations and one fatality. The more recent illness and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. The WHO has raised its alert level to 5. Most people will not have immunity to this virus, and as it continues to spread, more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths are expected in the coming days and weeks. 

*Symptoms of the 2009 H1N1 flu are nearly identical to those of regular seasonal flu - fever, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, and occasionally vomiting and diarrhea. 

*The 2009 H1N1 virus is susceptible to two major prescription antiviral drugs (Tamiflu and Relenza).

*As a result of intensive investigation and monitoring by CDC and WHO, numbers may expect to increase

*Cases in the U.S. have been relatively mild as compared to those in Mexico. The reason for this difference is are unknown at this time.

*Because this strain is new, there is no vaccine against the H1N1 flu. The past year's flu vaccine does not provide protection against the new strain. 

*Initial steps are being taken to begin development of a vaccine to provide protection against this strain, but a decision to do so has not been made yet. If this is done, it likely will take at least six months before the vaccine would become available. 

*The 2009 H1N1 flu is spread from person-to-person like other flu viruses. The virus is NOT spread by eating pork.

What Can You Do To Protect Yourself And Your Family?

There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illness like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

*Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you do not have a tissue, please shield your nose and mouth with your arm and not your hand.

*Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, especially after you cough or sneeze, or before you eat. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective when used properly.

*Whenever possible, avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Viruses can be spread this way.

*Avoid close contact with individuals with respiratory infections, if feasible.

*If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, stay home from work and/or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Contact your healthcare provider and they will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.

For the most up-to-date information available from the CDC, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov.

Support SAHEP at the Race for the Cure on June 6th in Washington, DC

Please support us and the global movement to end breast cancer forever! Impact your world and your community today - make a donation or join our team.
Up to 75 percent of the money raised by the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure stays in the D.C. area to fund screening, treatment and education programs through the National Capital Area Grant Program. The remaining dollars support the Global Promise Fund, reaching underserved people in areas where breast cancer mortality rates are the highest.

For more information, please visit: http://globalrace.info-komen.org/site/TR/GlobalRaceForTheCure/GlobalRace?pg=team&fr_id=1140&team_id=101421

Public Comment: Vaccine Requirements for Immigrants

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking public comment on a set of proposed criteria to determine which vaccines recommended by the CDC should be mandatory for immigrants seeking admission into the U.S. or seeking to become permanent residents. Under the proposed rule, http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-7934.htm, published in the Federal Register on April 8, a vaccine recommended by the CDC will become mandated for immigrants.

Comments can be submitted via e-mail to DGMQpubliccomments@cdc.gov . 

Comments may also be submitted by mail to the following address:

Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 
Attn: Immigration Vaccination Requirements
1600 Clifton Road, NE., MS E-03
Atlanta, Georgia, 30333

Soliciting Call for Asian & Pacific Islander Health Abstracts for APHA Annual Meeting

The Asian & Pacific Islander (API) Caucus is soliciting abstracts for the American Public Health Association (APHA) Conference that will be held November 7-11, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA.

In most cases, structured abstracts (250 word maximum) are preferred. All research abstracts should be submitted with five sections: background/significance, objective/purpose, methods, results, and discussion/conclusions. Do not include references or citations in the text of the abstract. Do not include brand or trade names in the title and/or text of the abstract; generic names are required for continuing education credit. All abstracts must be submitted with at least two learning objectives in the proper APHA format (i.e., “By the end of the session, the participant will be able to…”). Please check the abstract title and text for spelling and grammatical errors. Do not include your name or contact information in the text portion as this prohibits blind peer review. If you are unable to identify a specific session for your abstract, please submit it under "Other." Failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in your abstract being rejected.

Peer review of abstracts is blinded. Abstracts will be peer-reviewed based on the following criteria: 

• Importance: Importance to API health
• Relevance: Relevance to API Caucus topics 
• Originality: Innovative information/cutting edge/topic not addressed elsewhere 
• Quality: Completeness describing research/project/concept/supporting data of the program/project/intervention/research
• Clarity: Clearly written and conveys essence of program/project/intervention/research
• Annual Meeting Theme: Relevance to public health without borders

Those interested in API health are invited to join the API Caucus. Further details on the API Caucus can be found at http://www.apicaucus.org. For more information about the APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition, please visit http://apha.org/meetings/.