Posted September 22, 2014

Temple’s Center for Asian Health hosts Chinese and U.S. public health officials

Public health officials from China and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention visited Temple’s Center for Asian Health (CAH) on Sept. 16 to learn about the center’s initiative to reduce sodium in food from Philadelphia’s Chinese takeout eateries.

They were visiting Temple as guests of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, which has been partnering with CAH for the past three years on the Philadelphia Healthy Chinese Take-out Initiative. The program is aimed at reducing the sodium content in Chinese takeout dishes by 10-15 percent in an effort to control and prevent high blood pressure in low-income and high-poverty communities.

“We believe this dynamic local, national and international exchange experience among the four partners will bring new opportunities for building bridges toward future collaborations in salt reduction to prevent hypertension and stroke,” said Grace Ma, a professor of public health in Temple’s College of Health Professions and Social Work and director of CAH.