By Arianna Abalos
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Amid the shifting policies of the Trump administration, the Roundglass India Center at Seattle University hosted a webinar, exploring the evolving challenges facing the South Asian community in health and rights. 

Dr. Vin Gupta, a renowned pulmonologist and NBC News medical analyst, set the tone for the conversation on March 27 by urging health agencies to embrace modern communication strategies. 

“We need to think about a different way to communicate,” Gupta stated, emphasizing the power of social media in delivering crucial health information. The discussions, which also featured Samira Khan and Soeema Mohapatra, are part of a four-part series that’s not only informing but also galvanizing the South Asian community to advocate for better access to healthcare and rights.

Gupta highlighted the lack of lay comprehension of basic health facts through a survey from KFF, which showed that most Americans are not sure whether certain health misinformation were definitely true or false. He was concerned with the disparity in Americans’ belief in vaccinations; 68% of adults cannot say for certain that MMR vaccinations are not proven to cause autism in children. He called on health agencies to change the way that they communicate information, noting the significant differences in engagement between published papers and tweets and the shortfalls of dissemination by publishing information solely on agency websites. 

“Our health agencies, our academic centers historically have tended to view social media legacy media, and they’ve judged it, and they’ve said, ‘Well that’s not time well spent, […] it’s not a good use of time or leveraging Tiktok is beneath us’” argues Gupta. He compared the engagement between the influential article from the New England Journal of Medicine on Covid-19, which received 1.5 million views, in contrast to a tweet he posted himself, which showed the difference between lungs that had and hadn’t contracted Covid-19. His tweet garnered 5 million views within just a few days. 

Samira Khan is the president of the South Asian Public Health Association (SAPHA), a national nonprofit organization committed to the advancement of South Asian health through advocacy, public health professional partnerships, and health communication. Khan underlined the importance of disaggregate data in health statistics.

South Asians face an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and mental health problems that are exacerbated by cultural stigma and lack of culturally responsive care. Khan also pointed out the increased racialized state of violence against South Asians since 9/11, which has subjected them to profiling and criminalization under the guise of immigration enforcement, creating more chronic stress, fear, and distrust in government institutions. 

Khan defined the Trump administration’s cuts to NIH funding and research infrastructure’s role in widening disparities in South Asian health, losing progress in ongoing research, especially those that focus on disaggregated data. With these cuts in research, there is no funding provided for necessary interventions. Furthermore, a quarter of Asian Americans rely on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, and combined with the increasingly limiting work and eligibility restrictions, this has the potential to delay diagnoses and increase uninsurance, promoting further disparities in health outcomes.

At the end of her portion, Khan spotlighted the many resources SAPHA offers, including cardiovascular and diabetes resources and a South Asian research hub. 

“It’s not just about medicine, it’s about systems, policies, and powers. We have to really invest in culturally responsive care, research, inclusion, and protection across the different levels of our institutions so that South Asians can live healthy, dignified lives.” 

Soeema Mohapatra, MD, is an Anderson Foundation Endowed Professor in Health Law and Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University, and is an expert in assisted reproduction and reproductive justice. She discussed abortion rights and reproductive healthcare under the Trump administration. 

Mohapatra highlighted those that face the greatest barriers to abortion rights with policy changes are women of color, lower-income individuals, immigrants, and undocumented people. For South Asian women in particular, they face cultural stigma and isolation, language and immigration status barriers, along with higher rates of pregnancy-related conditions. These include gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and postpartum hypertension. She listed immigration as a particular concern for South Asians, for the mental health concerns associated with risk of deportation and fear of interacting with healthcare and legal systems.

To combat policy confusion and fear, Mohapatra emphasized the importance of public education and advocacy. This includes clear and accessible information for immigrant communities, community-based advocacy, culturally sensitive care, and community advocacy and networks.

“Whether it’s lack of access to health care, the stigma within the community, the fear of legal repercussions, the stigma whether it’s unintended pregnancy or even having complications with your health […] just getting the education piece out there, I think that’s really important to have women be able to advocate regardless of their immigration status, their language ability, and whatever support they or not support they might have.” 

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