South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Ms. CHU. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3771, the bipartisan South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act, which will not only raise awareness about the prevalence of heart disease in the South Asian community but save lives across our country.

I thank Congresswoman Jayapal for introducing this very important bill.

Language barriers, stigma, a lack of data surrounding AANHPI health, and the rise in anti-Asian rhetoric and violence are just some of the challenges communities of color face in accessing healthcare. South Asian Americans, in particular, have four times the risk of heart disease compared to the general population.

The factors behind this epidemic of heart disease among this community are not understood, and, more importantly, preventative measures are rarely shared. This bill before us today will tackle these issues and help to reverse these frightening trends and better protect South Asian-American communities nationwide, as well as patients of all races and ethnicities.

Specifically, this bill will create heart health promotion grants at the Centers for Disease Control to develop culturally appropriate materials to promote heart health, so that no one loses out on lifesaving information just because of the language they speak. It would also establish a clearinghouse of information on heart health through the NIH and conduct research on cardiovascular disease and other heart ailments among communities disproportionately affected by heart disease, such as South Asian Americans.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation and have been proud to support its endorsement by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus which I chair. This bill is going to save lives, and we must pass it today.

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