LOGO South Asian Public Health Association

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South Asian Public Health Association http//www.s
apha.net
The Brown Paper Organizing the South Asian
Community to Define Disseminate Its Health
Priorities
Abhijit Ghosh, Ushma Upadhyay, Neelam Gupta,
Melindah Sharma, Neil Parekh, Lina Sheth The
129th Annual Meeting of the American Public
Health Association October 23, 2001
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Mission Statement

• To provide a forum for professionals interested
  in the health and well being of South Asian
  Communities and to provide a forum for sharing
  resources among public health professionals of
  South Asian origin.

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Strategy

• Promote research
• Shape health policy
• Share knowledge
• Build coalitions with other organizations
• Mobilize funding opportunities
• Organize public health resources

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SAPHA Background

• Established in Spring 1999
• Began with 10 members
• Currently over 280 members
• Members from the US and around the world
• Activities in New York City, Baltimore, and
  Washington, DC

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Brown Paper

• To summarize and present health concerns of the
  South Asian American Community
• Project initiated in July 2000
• Includes literature reviews and a resource guide
  for health services focusing on South Asian
  Americans

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Brown Paper

• Methods SAPHA members commissioned to review
  current literature in their fields of expertise
• Topics include Domestic violence, cardiovascular
  disease, diabetes, mental health, access issues,
  cancer, childrens health, substance abuse,
  infectious disease, HIV/AIDS/STIs, and nutrition

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Brown Paper Distribution

• Provide health data to policy-makers, community
  organizations, health and community workers,
  social workers, physicians, and clinicians
• Reach out to community leaders and South Asian
  press to disseminate information
• Raise awareness among SA community about health
  issues
• Encourage future research on SA health issues

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Brown Paper Substance Abuse

• alcoholism is viewed as a social stigma not as
  an illness, but rather the person is crazy or
  bad. Dr. Anthony Stephen
• Organizations providing counseling services to
  South Asians South Asian Network, Nav Nirman

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Brown Paper Elderly Care

• Concern Percentage
• Transportation 22
• Health Care 16
• Getting Information on
• Eligibility on Medicare 14
• Loneliness 11
•  
• Source National Indian American Association for
  Senior Citizens

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Brown Paper Mental Health

• Segmented Self Divide oneself into separate and
  very different aspects that are expressed in
  certain situations. Rastogi 2001 study
• School age children inability to cope with
  prejudice 1997 Das and Kemp

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Brown Paper Lessons Learned

• Logistics Working with people throughout the
  country
• Internet organizing at grassroots level
• Ownership of Brown Paper among SAPHA members

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SAPHA

• South Asian Public Health Association
• http//www.sapha.net
• To join the SAPHA listserv send an e-mail to
• sapha-subscribe_at_yahoogroups.com
• or
• ghoshab_at_hotmail.com