The Asian Community Health Center (ACHC) presents the Conference on Tobacco and Chronic Diseases Among Vietnamese-Americans on May 16 – 17. The conference addresses the un-proportionate tobacco and diabetes risks among Vietnamese-Americans in Minnesota and the Midwest.  State and national leaders will show the data, research, programs and cultural approaches regarding tobacco and diabetes among Vietnamese.  The gathering will result in post-conference publication of findings and recommendations for maintenance and improvement of community health, as well as a health care manual.

For conference information and registration contact the Asian Community Health Center at (651) 224-6570.

Purpose

The purpose of the Summit is to address the un-proportionate tobacco and diabetes risks among Vietnamese-Americans in Minnesota and the Midwest.

The health status of Vietnamese Americans has drastically changed since the first Vietnamese refugees arrived in the U.S. after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.  Reports and studies have unveiled worrisome data of newly emerged health problems among Vietnamese Americans.  For several years, the National Cancer Institute has alerted that Vietnamese American women have the higher death rate of cervical cancer in the U.S.  Vietnamese American males top the smoking rates in the U.S. according to the Asian Partners for Empowerment and Leadership.  Health care providers have witnessed a rapid growth in the rates of diabetes, strokes among Vietnamese American.  The Vietnamese American aged population grows rapidly and there is an evident of culturally appropriate health care and health access for this group.

There is a double disparity gap in the health status of the Vietnamese American in comparison with the larger Asian Pacific Islander community and the mainstream population.  The identification of these disparities will be instrumental in designing appropriate intervention/prevention measures.

The U.S. Public Health Agenda includes a goal to eliminate health disparities among ethnic/racial populations by year 2010.  This summit is a community initiated attempt to contribute to achieving that goal.

Objective

The Conference on Tobacco and Chronic Diseases Among Vietnamese-Americans shall provide:

• Obtain community input

  • Voice from community (consumers) on newly experienced health problems, barriers to care, including cultural barriers and/or access to care.

  • Input and advices from health professionals who have to face these newly emerged health problems.

• Create a forum of discussion by experts and community leaders

  • Pertinent researches on new health needs among Vietnamese Americans can be presented and discussed.

  • Community input from pre-conference sessions will be examined.

Work Sessions and Panels

The Conference on Tobacco and Chronic Diseases Among Vietnamese-Americans features breakout workgroups, each focusing on a different area of concern. Each workgroup will enable a collaborative effort to develop a long-term strategy towards improving the quality of health care for the Southeast Asian community.

Provided with a facilitating moderator and a select panel of subject experts and policy makers in each group, participants will engage in a coordinated and organized effort of collaborative problem solving on health care related issues.

Beginning with group discussions, the morning breakout session is designed for participants to identify, organize and prioritize key issues in defined workgroup topic areas. The results will be documented and a summary report from each workgroup will be given at the final plenary session.

Conference Sponsors

• Asian Community Health Center (ACHC)

• Asian Pacific Tobacco-Free Coalition of Minnesota (APTFCM)

• DREGAN Asian Project

• National Congress of Vietnamese Americans

• National Vietnamese American Health Care Association

• South East Asian Refugee Community Home (SEARCH)

• Vietnamese Community of Minnesota

• Vietnamese Social Services

Topic Suggestions

• Most common diseases in Southeast Asian community (emphasis on treatment and prevention)

• Health issues in New Society

• Treatment of high risk health problems and terminal diseases

• Nutrition necessities

• X X I, Tai Chi, Chi Qung for health maintenance and prevention

• Effectiveness of Eastern and Western medicines, together and apart

• Tobacco and life, prevention and treatment

• Government policies and advocacy strategy

• Public and Private resources

Target Participants

The Conference on Tobacco and Chronic Diseases Among Vietnamese-Americans welcomes:

• Officials of city, state and federal governments and commissions;
• Leaders of community-based organizations that primarily work with the Southeast Asian community; and
• Members of the general public interested in the well-being of the Southeast Asian community.