On December 12th, 2020, SAAPRI’s Executive Director Shobhana Verma had the opportunity to join health and wellness advocates at the 2020 Red Saree Virtual Gala, celebrating the outreach activities and accomplishments of Red Saree, Inc.
South Asians develop heart disease a decade earlier than other ethnicities. Clinical research has shown that 44 percent of normal-weight South Asians carry two or more risk factors for heart disease. Many people believe they are not at risk if they have a normal body weight, but this is not the case, as ethnicity and other sociological factors have a significant effect on health outcomes as well.
Shobhana and others helped promote healthcare awareness in South Asian American communities at the gala; however, we need to discuss the need for more South Asian-focused research in health as well as the advancement of health policy that can empower and uplift our communities.
SAAPRI will continue its work in a research initiative as part of NIH’s Asian Recruitment and Engagement Core and All of Us Research Program, which it has been a part of since 2019, to help collect health data on South Asians to improve precision medicine.