KFF Health News September 4, 2024
A strong public health system can make a big difference for those who face stark health disparities. But epidemiologists serving Native American communities, which have some of the nation’s most profound health inequities, say they’re hobbled by state and federal agencies restricting their access to important data.
American Indians and Alaska Natives face life expectancy about 10 years shorter than the national average and, in early 2020, had a covid-19 infection rate 3½ times that of non-Hispanic Whites.
While tribal health leaders have fought for years for better access to data from federal agencies, the pandemic underscored the urgency of making data available to tribes and tribal epidemiology centers.
But even after the public health emergency put a spotlight on...
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