Access to data is crucial for public health decision-making, but tribal epidemiologists and public health workers for Native American communities are often in the dark due to restrictions from state and federal agencies. The 2010 reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act granted tribal epidemiology centers public health authority, but access to data remains limited. This lack of data has had severe consequences during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Native American communities experiencing significantly higher infection rates. Challenges in accessing data have impeded responses to disease outbreaks, highlighting the urgent need for improved data-sharing practices to address historical health disparities among Native populations.
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Native American Public Health Officials Are Stuck in Data Blind Spot
