Supervisor Solis Leads Efforts to Uplift Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heart Health

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Oct. 22 approved a motion authored by Supervisor Hilda L. Solis instructing the Department of Public Health and partners to raise awareness about disparities in Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander or AANHPI heart health and promote resources through culturally and linguistically appropriate channels.

Los Angeles County is home to approximately 1.5 million residents of AANHPI descent. This is the largest AANHPI community in the country representing over 40 ethnic groups, each with distinct languages, cultures, and characteristics.

Years of using aggregated data has masked the impact of heart disease amongst AANHPI communities. For example, in 2019, people of South Asian descent had the highest death rate from heart disease than any other ethnic group in the United States, holding up to four times the risk and developing heart disease up to a decade earlier.

“We must remember that heart disease and related issues are preventable and that we have a responsibility to inform the public. This is especially true for those in our multilingual, and often immigrant communities who already have difficulty navigating and accessing services such as housing, health, and food,” said Supervisor Solis. “Our families and loved ones deserve a chance to take care of themselves. We must promote the health and wellbeing of our residents, particularly those that are disproportionately burdened.”

The approved motion directs the Department of Health to raise awareness among communities disproportionately impacted by heart disease by identifying heart health promotion resources that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and identifying funding and resources to support a public awareness campaign in multiple languages in traditional, ethnic or hyperlocal media channels. Lastly, the motion directs the chief executive office of legislative affairs and intergovernmental relations to advocate in support of state and federal legislation that raise awareness on heart health among communities disproportionately impacted by heart disease.

Details: Read the full motion here.