Native American communities face significant health disparities, with life expectancy 10 years shorter than the national average and a Covid-19 infection rate 3½ times higher than non-Hispanic Whites. Epidemiologists serving these communities struggle to access important data due to restrictions by state and federal agencies. Tribal leaders have long fought for better data access, with the pandemic highlighting the urgency. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office outlined obstacles in data sharing with tribal epidemiology centers. While HHS is working on a draft policy to improve data access, tribal leaders feel it is incomplete and stress the importance of strong federal policies on data-use agreements.
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Tribal Health Officials ‘Blinded’ by Lack of Data
