Funds Go Toward Health Efforts for Asians, Hispanics; Initiatives Target Cardiac Health, Infant Mortality Among Hispanics, Blacks
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Asian Services in Action: The Akron, Ohio-based group has received a $600,000 grant from the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The group intends to use the funds to address health issues, such as hepatitis B, that affect Asians. The group hopes to educate health professionals and the local Asian community about the need for hepatitis B testing. It also will use the grant money to address mental health, tobacco control and domestic violence (Wheeler, Akron Beacon Journal, 2/5).
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Boston Scientific: Boston Scientific has launched an educational initiative called "Close the Gap" that aims to address disparities in cardiovascular care for women, blacks and Hispanics. The company will team up with various community organizations to increase cardiac health awareness. In particular, the initiative hopes to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest among young athletes, and Boston Scientific will be working with the Black Coaches and Administrators organization on this facet of the campaign. The initiative also will conduct outreach events at NCAA basketball games, local public school districts and major women's conferences (Boston Scientific release, 2/4).
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March of Dimes: The March of Dimes beginning in February will partner with the HHS Office of Minority Health Resource Center to support the "A Healthy Baby Begins With You" program, which aims to raise awareness about high infant mortality rates among blacks. Various March of Dimes chapters will participate in health fairs to distribute relevant information about what women can do to help them have healthy infants (March of Dimes release, 2/4).
- University of Texas-Brownsville: The university's Hispanic Health Research Center is receiving $390,000 in federal funding to continue its Cameron County Hispanic Health Cohort of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The cohort is studying obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental health and other diseases among 2,000 Mexican-Americans. Rep. Solomon Ortiz helped secure the funding (UT release, 2/5).
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