A national Asian American health agenda

Background/Significance: Historically, health research about Asian Americans has been sporadic and without significant public and private funding.

Objective/Purpose: Healthy People 2010 and IOM's Unequal Treatment reveal how ethnic/racial disparities affect health outcomes nationally, but limited data from federal surveys and academia mask how Asian Americans are affected.

Methods: Since the 1990s, researchers have been warning that Asian Americans have been neglected with regards to health status surveillance, health services, and federal resources. Reports by the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (2003), Ghosh (2003), and Asian American/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (2007) prove that focus, data, and funding remain illusive.

Results: Since those reports, federal agencies, CBOs, and foundations have steadily increased grants and programs to improve data collection. The Kellogg Foundation, for example, committed $16.5 million to eliminate health disparities in AAPI communities. In order to prevent the duplication of efforts and determine research areas which need emphasis, researchers must agree on a cohesive health agenda

Discussion/Conclusions: The proposed National Asian American Health Agenda should be formulated with the collaboration of a diverse mix of organizations, academics, government, clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and community representatives. It should include such issues as subpopulation data collection and analysis, advocacy, annual health status reports and conferences, strengthening capacity of existing local organizations, community-based participatory research, investment strategies for funders, partnering with AAPI-serving colleges, collaboration with media, educating health care providers, and providing input for Healthy People 2020.