Native Hawaiians and Pacifika

Access to Healthcare - According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islanders represent 0.3 percent of the U.S. Population or 874,000 individuals. Overall, about 21 percent of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders lack health insurance, compared to about 16 percent of the general Population

Tuberculosis (TB) - Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders had the highest tuberculosis (TB) case rates (33 per 100,000) of any racial and ethnic Population in 2001 (14 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic blacks, 12 per 100,000 for Hispanics/Latinos, 11 per 100,000 for American Indians/Alaska Natives, and 2 per 100,000 for non-Hispanic whites).

Diabetes - During 1996-2000, Native Hawaiians were 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than non-Hispanic white residents of Hawaii of similar age.

Infant mortality - In 2000, infant mortality among Native Hawaiians was 9.1 per 1,000, almost 60 percent higher than among whites (5.7 per 1,000).

Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) - While the rate of acute hepatitis B (HBV) among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has been decreasing, the reported rate in 2001 was more than twice as high among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (3.0 per 100,000) as among white Americans (1.3 per 100,000).

Asthma - Native Hawaiians in Hawaii had an asthma rate of 139.5 per 1,000 in 2000, almost twice the rate for all other races in Hawaii (71.5 per 1,000).

Smoking - In 2000, 30.9 percent of Native Hawaiians in Hawaii reported smoking cigarettes, compared with 19.7 percent of Hawaii residents overall.

HIV Infection Among People 50 and Older Concerns WHO March 2009

A "surprisingly high" number of people over age 50 worldwide are infected with HIV and the number of cases in older adults may be growing, says a World Health Organization study released Tuesday.

For example, between 2003 and 2006, the rate of HIV infection among Americans 50 and older increased from 20 percent to 25 percent. Between 1996 and 2006, the rate of HIV infection among people 50 or older in Brazil increased from 7.5 to 15.7 per 100,000, Agence France Presse reported.

"The frequency of infection with HIV in older people is worrying. We need to understand why and when these people are becoming infected so that public health campaigns can be better targeted to prevent such infections," said WHO scientist George Schmid.

One problem is that HIV is widely regarded as a young people's disease, the WHO said. This leads to less HIV screening among older people, which results in delayed diagnosis. In addition, older people are less likely than younger people to practice safe sex, AFP reported.