For a list of the Town Hall meeting sites, click here: Note: There is a file embedded within this post, please visit this post to download the file.

International Expert on Diabetes to launch Initiative for Cambodian American Survivors of Genocide

Dr. Lim Keuky, the founder of the Institut du Diabete and the Cambodian Diabetes Association in Cambodia will lead a national Town Hall Meeting for Cambodian Americans to be conducted by videoconferencing and webcasting on December 2, 2009. The meeting will link 10 sites across the United States via videoconferencing and an additional 50 by webcasting.

Cambodian Americans are dying of diabetes and stroke at rates many times that of the general population. Trauma, diet changes and lack of access to health care are major factors affecting these high mortality rates. The National Cambodian American Diabetes Project hosted by Khmer Health Advocates of West Hartford Connecticut  organized this event which is called Bravas dai Knea or “give and take” and refers to a Cambodian tradition of sharing resources.

Dr. Keuky will present evidence of the long term impact of the Cambodian genocide on the health of survivors. It is followed by a “real time” survey of participants and community sharing of information and ideas for addressing the health crisis associated with diabetes, stroke and serious psychological distress. In preparation for the meeting, local communities are submitting questions for the national survey and preparing formal statements. It is the intention that this meeting will set the direction for future community actions.

Khmer Health Advocates Inc. the coordinating organization is the national Cambodian health organization for survivors of the Cambodian holocaust and the Center of Excellence for Ending Disparities in Health for Cambodian Americans. It was founded in 1982 in West Hartford, Connecticut by Theanvy Kuoch, a survivor of the Khmer Rouge Regime and three American nurses who worked in refugee camps in Thailand. Ms. Kuoch, the Executive Director is on the Steering Committee of the National Diabetes Education Program and was instrumental in the development of the CDC monograph, Silent Trauma: Diabetes, Health and the Refugee, a ground breaking paper describing the link between trauma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Lim Keuky holds a Doctorate Degree in Pharmacology and a D.E.A. in Endocrinology from the University of Paris. Prior to 1975, Dr. Keuky served in the Cambodian parliament and was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was a consultant to the United Nations Development Program in Cambodia and the World Health Organization focusing on diabetes. He is actively involved in humanitarian efforts inside Cambodia and leads the initiative to improve research and education of Cambodian survivors in the area of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and serious psychological distress.

The meeting represents a public-private partnership of community based organizations, federally funded community health centers, Federal Programs and private business sponsoring this event. Supporters include over 15 Cambodian organizations and health clinics, the National Diabetes Education Program, the REACH US Program, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement Torture Victim Program. Polycom inc. is providing the videoconferencing bridge, technical and programmatic support for the meeting. HB Communications of North Haven is providing webcasting and additional technical support. (see attached list of names and locations).

Contact: Mary Scully, Director of Programs
Khmer Health Advocates inc.
1125 New Britain Ave
West Hartford, CT 06110
Tel (860) 561-3345
www.khmerhealthadvocates.org

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Prevent and manage chronic disease in the Cambodian community!