Tapping into the Potential of Pacific Islander Faith Organizations

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) has worked with Pacific Islander health advocates to address tobacco prevention and control activities for 16 years. In the last five years, APIAHF's California-based tobacco education program worked on a smoke-free Pacific Islander faith-based organizations advocacy campaign. By collaborating with Pacific Islander community-based and faith-based advocates, APIAHF was able to protect the faith-based communities at 12 Samoan churches in Southern California. Relationship building and provision of educational and financial resources were crucial in involving these faith leaders and organizations in health education and advocacy campaigns. As a result of the campaign, we were able to build relationships and trust with the churches, increase the number of health advocates, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke, and helped to develop leadership skills of the Pacific Islander campaign consultants involved in the project. In addition, resources specific to Pacific Islander communities were developed and disseminated to faith organizations and health organizations in the U.S. Associated Pacific Island Nations and to the states with higher populations of Pacific Islander communities.