May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month! This month is a time to celebrate the diverse experiences and cultures of AA and NHPI people and acknowledge their contributions to our society.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) is committed to working with its public health and community-based partners to Be the Source for Better Health for AA and NHPI individuals by providing quality, equitable, and respectful care responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, economic and environmental circumstances, and health literacy levels.
AA and NHPI populations are incredibly diverse and speak more than 100 different languages and dialects. Approximately one-third of AAs and NHPIs have limited English proficiency (LEP); this rate is even higher for certain subsets of the populations whose significant language barriers hinder their ability to access health care resources. AAs and NHPIs who have LEP or other communication-related barriers may experience challenges accessing healthcare, resulting in infrequent medical visits. Read the National Strategy on Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to learn how the White House is addressing language access for AA and NHPI populations.
This year the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center have established a joint theme for AANHPI Heritage Month: “Bridging Histories, Shaping Our Future.” The 2024 theme is an homage to the ancestors of AA and NHPI people and invites all Americans to delve into the legacies, triumphs, and challenges that have shaped AA and NHPI communities.
Learn how you can Be the Source For Better Health for AA and NHPI communities this month and all year long by visiting the OMH AANHPI Heritage Month website to find more information, health resources, upcoming events, shareable graphics, and social media messaging.
National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (May 19)
National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NAPIHAAD) is observed each year on May 19 to raise awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS-related stigma in AA and NHPI communities and promotes HIV prevention and treatment. Stigma keeps these communities from getting tested or seeking treatment. You can help stop HIV stigma by being intentional and thoughtful in how you talk about people, health, and experiences, and by talking openly and honestly about HIV prevention.
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Asthma Awareness Month is a time to educate friends, family, and patients about asthma and promote awareness about how this serious, sometimes life-threatening, chronic respiratory disease can be controlled.
Asthma is a long-term condition that affects breathing for about 25 million people in the United States, but prevalence rates differ significantly by race and ethnicity. Where you live, work, learn, and play can all affect your asthma, but the right steps can help you breathe easier.
The burden of asthma in the United States falls disproportionately on Black and American Indian/Alaska Native people. These groups have the highest asthma rates, deaths, and hospitalizations. In 2020, Black and African American and American Indian/Alaska Native populations had the highest rates of asthma deaths (per 1,000,000 population) at 29.7 and 15.7 respectively. In 2021, while deaths for Black and African Americans had decreased (24.2), it was still almost 4 times the rate of asthma deaths of Asian people who had the lowest rate of deaths (6.6) and almost 3 times that of the total population (9.5).
This Asthma Awareness Month, join the Learn More Breathe Better® program in bringing greater attention to asthma. Share these resources to help people recognize asthma symptoms and to get diagnosed and treated earlier to live full and active lives.
World Asthma Day (May 7)
World Asthma Day (WAD) is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a World Health Organization collaborative organization. WAD is held each May to raise awareness of asthma worldwide. In celebration of World Asthma Day 2024, GINA has selected the theme of “Asthma Education Empowers” which emphasizes the need to empower people with asthma with the appropriate education to manage their disease and to recognize when to seek medical help.
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May is High Blood Pressure Education Month. This annual observance encourages us to learn more about high blood pressure, or hypertension, and how to prevent it. It is more important than ever for communities to be informed about high blood pressure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high blood pressure is more common in non-Hispanic Asian adults (46%) than Hispanic adults (39%), but lower than other racial and ethnic groups, including non-Hispanic Black adults (56%) and non-Hispanic white adults (48%). Among those recommended to take blood pressure medication, blood pressure control is lowest among non-Hispanic Asian adults (19%), the same among non-Hispanic black adults (25%) and Hispanic adults (25%), and highest among non-Hispanic white adults (32%).
May is also National Stroke Awareness Month. Stroke is a major issue in the United States, leading to death and disability among adults, particularly non-Hispanic Black adults. However, it can be prevented and treated. High blood pressure is a leading cause and controllable risk factor for stroke.
Check out these resources to help you and your community learn more about hypertension risks and stroke prevention:
World Hypertension Day (May 17)
World Hypertension Day on May 17 is dedicated to highlighting the importance of monitoring blood pressure and bringing global awareness to the 1 billion people living with high blood pressure worldwide. This observance aims to promote hypertension prevention, detection, and control. In the United States, about 48% of adults have hypertension with a higher rate among non-Hispanic Black adults (56%) than in non-Hispanic white adults (48%), non-Hispanic Asian adults (46%), or Hispanic adults (39%). Fortunately, hypertension can be prevented and managed by checking your blood pressure regularly and through treatment.
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During Hepatitis Awareness Month, the CDC works to raise awareness of viral hepatitis while encouraging testing and vaccination.
Viral hepatitis is an infection that causes liver inflammation and damage. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
Although viral hepatitis affects millions of Americans nationwide from all social, economic, and racial and ethnic minority groups, it disproportionately impacts certain populations and communities.
According to the CDC:
- The rates of reported hepatitis B-related deaths among non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander persons and non-Hispanic Black persons were 8.5 times and 2.6 times as high as the rate among non-Hispanic white persons, respectively.
- The rate of hepatitis C-related deaths is highest in non-Hispanic AI/AN and non-Hispanic Black persons and is 3.3 times and 1.7 times as high as the rate among non-Hispanic white persons, respectively.
Visit the CDC's Learn the ABCs of Viral Hepatitis webpage for more information on all forms of viral hepatitis and for resources that include tools, education materials, and training resources, to improve your understanding of viral hepatitis transmission and risk factors and learn how you can help decrease social stigma against viral hepatitis.
Hepatitis Testing Day (May 19)
May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day, a day to raise awareness and encourage people to find out whether they have viral hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver that can lead to a variety of health complications, including liver cancer. On May 19, free viral hepatitis testing is provided for everyone in many locations around the United States.
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Mental Health Awareness Month is an annual observance led by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to raise awareness about mental health, fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support the millions of people in the United States affected by mental illness.
This year’s theme, Take the Moment, encourages us to foster open dialogues and cultivate empathy and understanding in our communities. This annual observance also urges us to share resources to support individuals and families on their journey towards mental wellness.
While it’s important for everyone to take care of their mental health, some racial and ethnic groups are impacted by poor mental health more than others. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), among adults age 18 or older in 2022, multiracial adults (35.2%) were more likely to have had any mental illness in the past year compared with white (24.6%), Hispanic (21.4%), Black (19.7%), American Indian or Alaska Native (19.6%), or Asian adults (16.8%). Additionally, multiracial adults (11.8%) were more likely to have had serious mental illness in the past year compared with white (6.5%), Hispanic (5.3%), Black (4.7%), Asian (4.1%), or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander adults (3.5%).
This month, SAMHSA is also recognizing the observance by promoting weekly themes about managing mental health and seeking support. Access SAMHSA’s 2024 Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit for social media messages, graphics, and promotional materials.
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Lupus Awareness Month is an annual observance led by the Lupus Foundation of America to raise awareness of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease that has a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minority populations.
The Let’s Take Charge! Campaign, created by the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Minority Health and Health Equity, highlights the importance of racial and ethnic minority participation in clinical trials so that lupus research is more inclusive and diverse.
Black and African Americans make up 43% of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases but only 14% of clinical trial participants. African American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women, and lupus is also more common in Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, and American Indian/Alaska Native women than white women. Watch this video from the Let’s Take Charge! campaign to learn how diversity in clinical trials can benefit lupus patients and find and join lupus clinical trials at ClinicalTrials.gov to help make lupus research more inclusive and diverse. The National Resource Center on Lupus provides up-to-date resources and information on lupus. You can learn facts about lupus, how diagnosis works, and how to live with and treat lupus. National lupus support groups provide a safe and understanding environment where people with lupus can come together to ask questions, listen to others, or lend a helping hand.
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In honor of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the OMH Knowledge Center is sharing a collection of recent articles and documents focused on the social determinants of health (the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that shape health outcomes) and how they affect these populations. The collection's topics touch on economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context within Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. Many of these resources are available online for free.
You can access this collection through the OMH Knowledge Center online catalog.
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