Addressing the health needs of south Asians: The community perspective

Nitasha Chaudhary, Amita Vyas, Kalpana Ramiah

Department of Prevention and Community Health, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University, Washington DC, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/health.2012.410121                

Abstract

Community based organizations play a vital role in the health of communities in the United States, particularly among immigrant and minority populations. Yet the gap between the needs of the community and the health issues that are being addressed remains quite large. This qualitative assessment provides a brief summary of community-based organizations in the US that focus on health issues specifically addressing the needs of South Asian Americans. In addition, this assessment explores the health needs of the South Asian American community living in the Washington DC metropolitan region, the fifth largest densely populated city in the US of South Asian Americans. While the report provides an array of organizations serving this population, the question of how effective can community-based organizations be if they can not prioritize their needs based on the community’s needs still remains.

Keywords

Community Health; Health Education; Minority Health; Community Based Organizations; South Asian American Health; Community Perspective

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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