Transcript KVINNER SAMMEN FOR EGEN HELSE

Ethnic minorities and heart
health
– The role and responsibility of
NGOs
By Kristine Skaar Aune
Norwegian Health Association
Our aim is to prevent cardiovascular disease
and dementia in the population, by focusing on:
• Prevention
• Information
• Research
What is good for your heart is good for your brain!
In Norway
• 35% of all deaths are
related to
cardiovascular
decease.
• Cardiovascular disease
is the main cause of
death for those under
70 years of age.
• More than 400 000
people live with a
cardiovascular disease.
The population from the Sub - Indian continent are an
especially vulnerable group
• 70% of all immigrants from
South-Asia are obese (Kumar
et al, 2003).
• Pakistan- Norwegian weigh
more and have a higher
cholesterol level than Pakistan
people living in Pakistan
(Zahid, 2008)
• 40 % of Pakistan- Norwegian
women weigh too much, often
with central obesity (FHI,
2005).
Women and diabetes:
– Pakistan- Norwegian
background: 28-31%,
1 of 4!
– Ethnic Norwegian: 3%
– Pakistan women in
Pakistan: 7% (Zahid,
2008).
– 4 out of 5 women from
South- Asia living in
Norway get diabetes
during pregnancy.
Prevention is important because we know that:
• Diabetes is related to inactivity
and obesity.
• Diabetes more than doubles
the risk for cardiovascular
disease.
• Migration seems to be a risk
factor on its own.
• And the people at risk know
and want information. But we
also know that information
works best if it is related to the
situation the individual or
group live in.
In our project we found:
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Key persons in immigrant groups have
a big social network.
But these persons are often already
engaged with their time and mind tied
up.
You have to be clear on what you have
to offer and what you expect in return.
Ethnic minorities often experience
prevention strategies as something that
is being done to them, not as a
cooperation project.
The similarities over go the differences
between women.
A lot of information is based on
experience. But experience is seldom
shared between experts, groups and
organisations
Therefore:
• It is smart to use
established meeting
places.
• Invite yourself to have
a lecture or as a coorganiser to a
meeting.
• Ask if you have a
question.
We also found:
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Cooperation with immigrant
organisations is a success.
National and local authorities and
organisations, hospitals and
religious meeting places are
important sources to information.
Information and involvement must
be the focus, over integration if
you want to prevent
cardiovascular disease or other
illnesses.
Cardiovascular disease and dementia strike ethnic minorities to the
same extent as the population as a whole. For some groups it strikes
harder.
The National Health Association works
towards the population as a whole, and
se the ethnic minority population as a
part of this whole. If we should treat this
part of the population as a special group
it should be because:
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It is a particularly vulnerable group
We need more information about some
special groups
There are some adjustments needed to give
this group equal information.
Then my questions to you are:
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What do you think is the role and
responsibility of NGOs concerning
to the minority population and their
cardiovascular health?
Have you tried and evaluated
different ways to communicate
information to multi-ethnic groups?
And if so, what works best?
(Brochures, campaigns,
commercials etc)
Have you succeeded in recruiting
people from different
organisations? How?
Are you satisfied with your own
work at this area? If not, what do
you wish to do?