Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 28, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2011 — Aloha mai kākou, [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Aloha mai kākou,

As Ka Wai Ola went to press, the U.N. General Assembly convened its first high-level summit on chronic disease, underscoring a worldwide threat that has been described as a "puhlie health emergency in slow motion" by the U.N. Secretary-General. Chronic disease, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and lung disease now account for ahnost two thirds of deaths worldwide. Smoking, aleohol, unhealthy diets and laek of exercise are eommon risk factors of chronic disease. As it is a global eoneem, preventable diseases are also a problem right here at home - particularly for Native Hawaiians, who lead the state with disproportionately high rates of diabetes, obesity and other illnesses. Charged with a state constitutional mandate, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs works to improve the conditions of Native Hawaiians. One of the Strategic Priorities of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is to improve the health of Native Hawaiians, and it's a priority that has gamered mueh deserved attention.

In grants, for example, we have invested in eommunities through the American Diabetes Association, as well as to help those suffering from other health-related ehallenges, such as mental illness and substance abuse. And we continue to seek coimnunity partners who ean help our efforts to improve the heahh of Native Hawaiians. At the same time, OHA's Research Line of Business has produced a 201 1 Native Hawaiian Health Fact Sheet, whieh provides an overview of the health of our people. Topics range from chronic disease to obesity, and from drug use to the percentage of Hawaiians who went more than five years without getting a routine eheekup from a doctor. This easy-to-read Native Hawaiian Health Fact Sheet ean be found on page 14. As the Office of Hawaiian Affairs seeks to play an important role in shaping health standards among Native Hawaiians, we will encourage Hawaiians to embrace a lifestyle change that involves eating healthier and becoming more physically active.

A Hawaiian proverb on health says: "Pū'ali kalo i ka wai 'ole - Taro, for laek ofwater, grows misshapem m Simply put, "For laek of care, one may heeome But there is also a proverb that provides this • bit of hopeful wisdom, "Po'ohū ka lae kahi i ka ■ f pōhue - When the forehead himps, rnb it with a ' , gourd'.' It is a way of saying, simply yet powerfully, \ if faced with a problem, find a remedy. That is what we fully intend

to do. Me ka 'oia'i'o,

Clyde W. Nāmu'o Chief Executive 0fficer