NAPNEHD

National Asian American and Pacific Islander Network to Eliminate Health Disparities

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.¹ Behavioral risk factors associated with this disease can be linked specifically to smoking, physical inactivity and nutrition.²

Recognizing the importance of fostering healthier lifestyle choices, particularly within these priority populations, APPEAL began the National Asian American and Pacific Islander Network to Eliminate Health Disparities (NAPNEHD) in October 2009. The goal of this Network is to eliminate health disparities in the AA and NHPI communities by focusing on environmental and policy change.

Priority initiatives for the first year of NAPNEHD include:

• Developing a comprehensive strategic plan for eliminating health disparities through community participation and launching of the NAPNEHD technical assistance and training (TAT) program
• Creating a learning community that facilitates the sharing of information and collaboration throughout the NAPNEHD network and the AA and NHPI community
• Enhancing the capacity of the local NAPNEHD affiliates to reduce health disparities through policy change using the APPEAL Policy Change model
• Providing community competent and relevant technical assistance, training and leadership development for the NAPNEHD affiliates and the larger AA and NHPI community
• Documenting and disseminating progress and performance of the NAPNEHD network

Partners

Some partners currently involved in this initiative include:

• The Coalition for Asian American Children and Families
• Washington Asian Pacific Islander (WAPI) Community Services
  

Funding Sources

The APPEAL NAPHEHD Network is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of the national program, Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Across the U.S. (REACH U.S.). To learn more about the REACH U.S. please visit http://www.cdc.gov/reach/about.htm

Contact

If you would like to learn more about the NAPNEHD Network or to get involved, please go the APPEAL Contact page and fill out the form.

______________________________________________________________________________________

¹ National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2006 with Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf

² Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease Behavior. http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/behavior.htm