Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey. The report is in!

Subha

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http://www.newswise.com/articles/sahna-2010-south-asian-health-needs-assessment-in-the-washington-d-c-region

Newswise — In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, The George Washington University, School of Public Health & Health Services releases "SAHNA 2010: A South Asian Health Needs Assessment of the Washington, D.C. Region". This report is the first study of this magnitude in the Washington, D.C. area to assess the health needs of a growing and diverse minority population.

The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is the 5th largest city with a South Asian population, yet little attention has been given to better understand and address the health and well-being of this community. Project SAHNA is a collaborative research project at the GW School of Public Health and Health Services, led by faculty, students, and alumni committed to addressing health issues among South Asians in the United States. “SAHNA 2010 provides critical insight into a minority group that has often been neglected and underrepresented in public health research. The findings in this report provide a foundation for future research and programmatic efforts,” said Dr.Vyas, the lead study author.

Project SAHNA recruited 700 adult participants from the Washington, D.C. region for a survey that assessed perceptions of health, sources of health information, health care access and utilization, and health risk behaviors.

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..."

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!

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

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.

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.

Indian Americans at High Risk for Vitamin D Deficiency

Indian Americans may be at a higher risk for Vitamin D deficiency because of the amount of melanin in their skins, says the author of a new study, published this month in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

According to an article posted in Indiawest.com, the study did not sample South Asian Americans as a group, but Adit Ginde, co-author of the study, told India West Vitamin D deficiency was particularly acute in darker-skinned people.

To read more, please visit: http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=1058&sid=1.

HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign Initiated by the Obama Administration

On March 16, SAHEP members posted an article on HIV/AIDS rates in Washington, DC and the affect that will have on South Asians.

In today's news, the Washington Post, posted an article on Obama's 5-year awareness campaign to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS. This campaign, "Act Against AIDS", includes PSA's, advertising in various modes of public transportation, text messages, and will create a website for detailed information.

According to Kevin Fenton, Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS at CDC, "Every 9 1/2 minutes, someone's mother, someone's daughter, someone's father, someone's friend is infected". Additionally, Fenton indicated that one in five people who have HIV are not aware of it.

While most of the article discusses the impact of HIV/AIDS in the U.S, it also describes the concerns for individuals living in the Washington DC area, as the rate of people living with HIV/AIDS n the DC area is now at 3 percent.

How does this impact South Asians? What can SAHEP do and what can individuals do to raise the awareness of HIV/AIDS?

For more information, please visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040703717.html?wprss=rss_metro

HIV/AIDS Rate Reaches Three Percent in Nation's Capitol

According to a recent report released by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, the 82-page report states that approximately three percent of the population in Washington, DC has been affected with HIV or AIDS and has been labeled as a "severe epidemic."  According to a recent Washington post article, this rate is even higher than West Africa and is "on par with Uganda and some parts of Kenya."

According to the report reasons for the increase in the incidence is a result of three modes of transmission: men having sex with men, heterosexual sex, and infection through drug use. 

Although South Asians are not directly impacted by this increase, how does and will this affect South Asians living in the area?

Sanjay Gupta Appointed as Surgeon General? What does this mean for SAHEP?

Sanjay Gupta, MD has been offered the psition of the U.S. Surgeon General. Although, it has yet to be confirmed, many sources expect that Dr. Gupta will take on this new role.  What do you think this means for SAHEP? South Asians?

Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2009/obama_wants_journalist_for_sur.html?nay=rss_email%2Fcomponents