American Samoa, a group of five volcanic islands and two coral atolls located some 2,600 miles south-west of Hawaii, has been a territory of the United States since 1900. As a territory of the United States, American Samoa is eligible for and highly dependent upon funding from the US government for a number of items, including health care. The American Samoa Department of Health receives funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out a number of public health programs, including a Diabetes Control Program. In attempting to apply a program model that works for continental United States Diabetes Control Programs to American Samoa, a number of unique difference have become apparent. These differences include but are not limited to their relative isolation, the disparate burden of diabetes compared to many other racial and ethnic groups in the US, the differences in government infrastructure as compared to State Health Departments, their unique culture, limited resources, language barriers and their unique health care system. While these challenges do exist, American Samoa also has some unique characteristics that uniquely position them to overcome these barriers. A review of the challenges and the initiatives implemented to address these challenges will be reported.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to recognize the unique and complex challenges facing the American Samoa Department of Health in implementing a diabetes public health program funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and some of the unique cultural assets available in this US jurisdiction to overcome these challenges.
Keywords: Diabetes, Culture
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, State-Funded Diabetes Control Programs.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.