On March 26, 2025, SAPHA President Samira Khan joined an esteemed panel of leaders and experts for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Health Summit. The virtual panel, “Interpreting Health Disparities Through Disaggregated Data,” tackled the ongoing challenges of data aggregation that obscure the health needs of diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.
Moderated by Dr. Latha Palaniappan (Stanford University), the panel explored the urgent need for disaggregated data to uncover disparities and drive culturally responsive solutions. Representing the South Asian perspective, Samira Khan emphasized how South Asian Americans face unique health burdens—including high rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes—that remain masked by aggregated datasets. She highlighted SAPHA’s work in advocacy, research, and outreach, including the creation of toolkits and a research hub to support more inclusive data and equitable care.
Other panelists shared insights on Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander health access, trauma related to U.S. policy in the Marshall Islands, and the role of disaggregated data in shaping mental health and infant care systems. The discussion concluded with a collective call to action: to invest in data equity, empower communities, and ensure no subgroup is left behind in national health strategies.
Watch the full recording below.
