Native American communities, already burdened with some of the worst health disparities in the U.S., continue to face major setbacks due to limited access to vital health data. Tribal public health officials report that state and federal agencies restrict data-sharing, leaving them “blinded” in their efforts to combat serious health crises, including infectious disease outbreaks and substance misuse.
Meghan Curry O’Connell, chief public health officer for the Great Plains Tribal Leaders’ Health Board, emphasized that without timely data, the region’s response to a devastating syphilis outbreak has been hampered. “We’re being blinded,” she said, referring to the ongoing challenges in accessing necessary public health information. The situation is not new, but the COVID-19 pandemic magnified the dangers posed by this data gap, with American Indians and Alaska Natives suffering a COVID-19 infection rate 3.5 times that of non-Hispanic whites.
Despite recent federal efforts to improve data-sharing policies, many tribal leaders say progress has been slow and insufficient. A Government Accountability Office report highlighted ongoing confusion about data-sharing rules and inconsistent recognition of tribal epidemiology centers as public health authorities. These challenges continue to deepen health disparities by delaying crucial interventions in Native American communities.
Jim Roberts of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium added that stronger federal policies are needed to improve relationships with state governments, which often fail to recognize tribal sovereignty over health data.
See: “Inequality Speeds Up Brain Aging, According to Global Study” (September 3, 2024)
