Health Fair Designed for Asian Community

A free health fair will be held Saturday in an effort to increase the Asian and Pacific Islander community’s access to health care in the San Fernando Valley.

Providing health care to the growing community is a key issue in the Valley, said Susan Ng, program coordinator for the Asian & Pacific Islander Council of the San Fernando Valley.

Unlike predominantly Asian enclaves elsewhere in the county, such as Koreatown, Little Tokyo and Monterey Park, the Valley lacks a common community ready to serve its diverse Asian population, which soared from 3% of the Valley’s total population in 1980 to 8%, or 124,000, in 1990, she said.

The council established its annual Family Health and Cultural Day five years ago to provide free screenings and health care information in a culturally sensitive manner.

Interpreters who speak Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Japanese, Tagalog and Spanish will be on hand to break down the language barriers that all too often prevent members of the Valley’s Asian and Pacific Islander community from seeking and receiving health care, Ng said.

The free screenings will include blood pressure, dental exams, HIV/AIDS tests, mammography, physical therapy and testing for diabetes.

The health fair will also feature cultural entertainment, including a taekwondo demonstration, Chinese folk songs, Filipino cultural dances and free refreshments.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the San Fernando Valley Japanese American Community Center at 12953 Branford St.

Free transportation is available.

For more information, contact the Asian & Pacific Islander Council of the San Fernando Valley at 786-2885.

The council is a nonprofit coalition of community organizations and social service providers that promote social, cultural and civic interests within the Asian and Pacific Islander community.