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Better Health Alertness Program (BHAP)
The Better Health Alertness Program seeks to raise awareness
among African populations about the hazards of tobacco, alcohol
and drug abuse, HIV/AIDS and other diseases as threats to
personal well-being and deterrents to economic self-sufficiency
in the African family. Over the years, BHA conducted activities
in three major areas - Health Education, Healthy Living and
Health Disparity Advocacy.
Health
Education
Since 2004, we have been focused on HIV/AIDS education to
encourage testing and prevention. We have done this through
one-on-one and community presentations, our weekly TV programs
on cable channels 6 and 19 and through the distribution of our
HIV/AIDS dramas on video.
Healthy Living
Provides education, information around issues of living healthy
lives for African families. For example, In 2006 we conducted a
study with Wilder Research funded by Clearway Minnesota, to
determine how much West Africans smoke, their attitudes about
smoking, if they understand the harms caused by smoking, if they
think it is important to quit smoking, and what ways they are
using to quit smoking. Findings of this research can be found on
the Wilder Research and Foundation
website. We are currently, researching funding sources to encourage
health eating and active lifestyles for seniors in the African
community.
Health Disparity Advocacy
Targeting mainstream organizations like hospitals African
Assistance Program gives voice to the African immigrant
community on health inequity issues especially around service
provision. We also target government officials and institutions
to address systemic/policy changes that need to take place for
equal service to African immigrants as the rest of mainstream
America
For
more information please
contact
Andrew Suah
at 763-560-9643
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