South Asian Total Health Initiative(SATHI)

Research. Education. Outreach.

South Asian Total Health InitiativeDepartment of PediatricsOne Robert Wood Johnson PlaceMedical Education Building 322New Brunswick, NJ 08901732-235-8975gaursu@rwjms.rutgers.eduwww.rwjms.rutgers.edu/sathi

Part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

The South Asian TotalHealth Initiative (SATHI) is a comprehensive, multi-faceted initiative to:

Promote research on South•Asian health.Address health disparities and•improve the delivery of culturallycompetent health care.Educate, engage, and•empower the community topromote wellness and healthliteracyProvide technical assistance•and consultation to health carepolicy makers and other keystakeholders and constituencygroups

“A comprehensive, multi-faceted initiative toimprove the delivery of culturally competenthealth care, and the education, engagement,and empowerment of the South Asian community to improve their health outcomes.”

SATHI Programs:

Research: Population-based research•related to health issues among SouthAsians, in collaboration with the RutgersSchool of Public Health and facultymembers from Robert Wood JohnsonMedical School and other collaboratinginstitutions.

•Education: Professional and community•education programs through largeconferences, small group lectures, andseminars focusing on health disparities inSouth Asians and promotion of culturallycompetent health care.

•Outreach: SATHI is committed to•community education and outreachthrough community-based healtheducation and screening programs athealth fairs, through radio and othermedia outlets, and through developmentof educational materials in regionalSouth Asian languages.

For more information, call

732-235-8975or visit us online at

www.rwjms.rutgers.edu/sathi

Who Are South Asians?South Asians are persons who originate fromthe Indian subcontinent, which includesBangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, andSri Lanka.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, more than3.2 million Asian Indians now reside in the UnitedStates. With approximately 200,000 South Asianresidents, New Jersey has the third-largeststatewide population of South Asians and one of the highest proportions (2.3%) of South Asianresidents in the United States. This communityhas experienced a phenomenal population increase in the state (approximately 133%) between 1990 and 2010. New Jersey’s SouthAsian communities are primarily concentrated inthree counties (Hudson, Bergen, and Middlesex),with the largest concentration of South Asiansliving in Middlesex County.

South Asians suffer from a substantially•high risk of diseases such as coronaryheart disease, metabolic syndrome,diabetes, and cancer.South Asians have a poor understanding•of disease prevention.Disparities in access to care, service•utilization, quality, and health outcomesare increasingly being documented.Data suggests a lack of awareness•about preventable dental disease inthis population.Impact of stigma, mental illness, and•other physical, behavioral, and cognitivedisabilities has been seen.

The Need

The South Asian TotalHealth Initiative (SATHI) wasestablished in 2007 at Rutgers RobertWood Johnson Medical School with themission to improve health outcomes inSouth Asians living in the United States.SATHI serves as a platform to engagemultidisciplinary professionals such asresearchers, health practitioners, publichealth experts, community-based organizations and community membersin promoting research, education, and outreach to improve the health of South Asian Americans.

Director:Sunanda Gaur, MD

Advisory Committee Hon. Upendra Chivukula (ex-officio)Kitaw Demissie, MD, PhDGeetha Ghai, PhDSneha Jacobs, MD, MSRobert Like, MD, MSUsha Ramachandran, MDJigna RaoBiren Saraya, MDRanita Sharma, MDVarsha Singh, MSN, APN-CJag Sunderram, MD