

ZIKA RESOURCES. Pregnant women, or those trying to become
pregnant, have concerns about the link of the Zika virus to
birth defects, including microcephaly and congenital Zika
syndrome. Asian Americans and Native Hawai‘ians and Pacific
Islanders are now able to access information about Zika
available in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, and Urdu at <www.aboutzika.org>.
The website provides prevention basics, toolkits, and local
resources in five Asian and Pacific Islander languages. (Image
courtesy of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum)
From The Asian Reporter, V27, #13 (July 3, 2017), page
11.
Zika resources now available for AAs & NHPIs
Mosquito season has arrived in the southern United States,
which means more people are asking questions about the Zika
virus. Pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant, have
concerns because of the link of the virus to birth defects,
including microcephaly and congenital Zika syndrome. Parents of
young children also want to know more about how to protect their
children and keep them safe.
Microcephaly is a condition of a baby’s head being smaller
than expected when compared to babies of the same sex and age.
Congenital Zika syndrome is a pattern of birth defects found
among fetuses and babies infected with the Zika virus during
pregnancy. Five complications of congenital Zika syndrome
include severe microcephaly, decreased brain tissue with a
specific pattern of brain damage, damage to the back of the eye,
joints with limited range of motion (such as clubfoot), and too
much muscle tone restricting body movement soon after birth.
Many Asian Americans (AA) as well as Native Hawai‘ians and
Pacific Islanders (NHPI) are seeking information about Zika in
languages they have fluency. Thanks to the Asian & Pacific
Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), through a grant from
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), information
about Zika is now available in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean,
Tagalog, and Urdu. Members of the public and healthcare
providers can click on <www.aboutzika.org> to access prevention
basics, toolkits, and local resources in five Asian and Pacific
Islander languages.
Community-based partner organizations are helping disseminate
the guides, which are culturally and linguistically appropriate,
to people in Asian Pacific Islander communities. The guides
provide easy-to-understand information about who is at risk,
what symptoms to look for, and how to get tested.
The materials focus on the basic information people need to
know about Zika. For instance, they want to know the virus is
transmitted not only through an infected mosquito bite, but also
through sex.
Prevention measures are stressed, including applying mosquito
repellant, wearing long sleeve shirts and pants, installing
screens on all windows, tossing out stagnant water, and properly
using condoms.
"When it comes to a topic like the Zika virus, the mix of
constantly evolving information and frightening statistics makes
the role of community-based organizations even more critical,"
said Kathy Ko Chin, president and CEO of APIAHF. "This virus is
a new and different public-health issue than we have ever dealt
with before. Therefore, it is important to not forget the
specific needs of AAs and NHPIs in public health education."
To learn more, visit <www.aboutzika.org>.
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