Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 8, 1 August 2014 — New law commits state to doing more to close Native Hawaiian health gaps [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

New law commits state to doing more to close Native Hawaiian health gaps

By Harold Nedd Ahill signed into law June 30 commits the state government to taking a comprehensive and modernized approach to eliminating critieal heahh disparities that affect Native Hawaiians and other vulnerable populations. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs advocated for the policy change during this year's legislative session, whieh emphasizes international and nahonal best practices in addressing the "social determinants of heahh," such as access to education, housing, transportation, human services and healthy foods. With this new measure, state agencies are urged to consider such factors as neighborhood safety and the availability of open spaces, whieh could impact how mueh time individuals spend outside or exercising. These and other social determinants have a direct bearing on the heahh of

individuals and are particularly useful in addressing the heahh disparities of the most heahhvulnerable communities. "OHA has been one of the strongest advocates for closing the heahh disparities that affect Native Hawaiians," said Kamana'opono Crabbe, OHA Ka Pouhana and CEO. "Whh this new law, the state aeknowledges the importance of smart and strategic heahh planning and has reiterated its commitment to address the heahh status of Native Hawaiians and other vulnerable communities." Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed OHA's Heahh Planning bill, House Bill 1616, into law at a signing ceremony at the state Capitol. The measure updates the state's heahh planning statute. It also supports a top priority at OHA to improve the heahh of Native Hawaiians by reducing their obesity rate. For more information about Native Hawaiian heahh, visit www.oha.org/health and http:// bit.ly/ln5Faai. ■

Gov. Neil Abercrombie, center, was joined at the bill signing ceremony by, from left, Tim Johns of Hawai'i Medical Service Association, Keawe'aimoku Kaholokula of the John A. Burns School of Medicine Department of Native Hawaiian Health, and Kamana'opono Crabbe, Deja Ostrowski and Kawika Riley of OHA. - Courtesy: Office ofthe Governor