causes of death are linked to diet; heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke. of chronic diseases such as heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes. …
FOR IMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Thursday, Nov 1, 2007 Jared Harrison
Work: 202 572-2866
jaredharrison@gmmbcom
SIGNIFICANT HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES
LIVING IN URBAN AREAS GO UNMET
Urban Indian Health Commission reveals that urban Indians face a high
incidence of heart disease, diabetes and depression, yet have minimal
access to quality health care
WASHINGTON, DC - Millions of American Indians and Alaska Natives living
in or near cities throughout the United States are seemingly invisible to
health care providers and federal and state policymakers and yet face
significant heath care disparities, according to a new report, Invisible
Tribes: Urban Indians and Their Health in a Changing World The report will
be released today by the Urban Indian Health Commission UIHC, a select
group of leaders convened by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the
Seattle Indian Health Boards Urban Indian Health Institute to examine
health care
issues facing urban American Indians and Alaska Natives
Nearly 67 percent of the nations 41 million self-identified American
Indians and Alaska Natives, or about 28 million people, call US cities
home However, there is no uniform policy regarding urban Indian health,
and current federal executive policy actually aims to eliminate funding for
urban Indian health within the Indian Health Service
The collective health of this growing population continues to suffer, and
disproportionately, compared to other Americans, said Ralph Forquera,
MPH, director of the Urban Indian Health Institute The Commissions
report illustrates the need for health care providers; policymakers; and
local, state and national private and public sector leaders to work
together to provide better care to this seemingly invisible population
The report reviews the prevalence of three diseases-depression, diabetes
and cardiovascular disease-in the American Indian and Alaska Native
population Top-line findings from each disease include:
Up to 30 percent of all American Indian and Alaska Native adults
suffer from depression, and there is strong reason to believe the
proportion is even greater
among those living in cities
Compared to the general US population, American Indians and
Alaska Natives have a higher prevalence of diabetes, a greater
mortality rate from diabetes and an earlier age of diabetes onset
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among American
Indians and Alaska Natives and kills more American Indians and Alaska
Natives age 45 and older than cancer, diabetes and unintentional
injuries-combined
According to the report, it is common for an urban Indian to suffer from
more than one of the aforementioned diseases, which ultimately interact
with, amplify and perpetuate one another Many of the underlying causes,
markers and barriers to treatment of these diseases are shared, at above-
average rates, by other diseases and afflictions suffered by American
Indians and Alaska Natives
A big challenge for urban Indians is accessing high-quality, appropriate
health care The vast majority of American Indians and Alaska Natives
living in cities are ineligible for or are unable to use health services
offered through the Indian Health Service or tribes And even when urban
Indians do manage to access health care,
they must overcome additional
barriers to receiving appropriate care Cultural misunderstandings, a lack
of respect and communication obstacles often interfere with-and inhibit-the
delivery of high-quality health care to urban American Indians and Alaska
Natives
We cant ignore this population in our efforts to improve the quality of
American health care, said Michael W Painter, JD, MD, senior program
officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The nation cannot truly
improve health care quality without also reducing disparities Although we
continue to make some in-roads in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in
health care, these efforts have largely overlooked American Indians and
Alaska Natives living in or near cities We must make sure that the work to
reduce disparities and improve the quality of care explicitly includes our
nations first people, no matter where they might currently live If we
dont, future generations will and certainly should judge us harshly
The UIHC report recommends informed dialogue and targeted action The
public and private sectors must recognize and assist urban Indians in order
to improve their access to appropriate care and health services, work
to
enhance data collection and research pertaining to American Indians and
Alaska Natives living in cities, support funding initiatives, and identify
and institute best practices in urban Indian health care Most importantly,
Americans must understand that the quality of health care for all will not
improve without addressing-and reducing-disparities
Decades ago, tribes exchanged their land and its vast resources for
federal promises of better life and better health, Forquera said The
government has not delivered on its promise We, as a nation, have a duty
to right these wrongs, and illuminate this invisible population
To access the report, Invisible Tribes: Urban Indians and Their Health in a
Changing World, or to view a Webcast of the report release briefing event,
visit uihinet/UIHC or RWJForg
The Urban Indian Health Commission is a select group of leaders convened by
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Seattle Indian Health Boards
Urban Indian Health Institute to examine health care issues facing urban
American Indians and Alaska Natives
The Urban Indian Health Institute UIHI was established in July 2000 as a
division within of
the Seattle Indian Health Board, a community health
center targeting urban American Indians and Alaska Natives The UIHI
provides centralized nationwide management of health surveillance, research
and policy considerations regarding the health status deficiencies
affecting urban American Indians and Alaska Natives
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and
health care issues facing our country As the nations largest philanthropy
devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all
Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and
individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and
timely change For more than 35 years, the Foundation has brought
experience, commitment and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems
that affect the health and health care of those it serves When it comes to
helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the
Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime
Source:lcmh.org
