ACP calls for improved health support in Indigenous communities
A new position paper addresses the health disparities that are prevalent within Indigenous communities due to the lack of equitable health care support and services.
In a new position paper, ACP addresses the health disparities that are prevalent within Indigenous communities, focusing on American Indian and Alaska Native peoples, due to limited access to and funding for equitable health care support and services.
The paper offers recommendations for public policymakers at the federal level to strengthen the health and well-being of Indigenous populations, including increased funding, improved support for wellness promotion and chronic disease prevention, and community-based collaboration to improve the health and welfare of these communities. Specifically, ACP believes:
- Increased funding is needed for health services for Indigenous people, particularly given the identified disparities and inequities in federal funding.
- Community-driven public policy, developed under Indigenous leadership, is necessary to remedy the injustices, disparities, and inequities experienced by Indigenous individuals and communities.
- Improved support is needed to prioritize health and wellness promotion, chronic disease prevention, and other public health interventions addressing morbidities with high incidence in Indigenous communities, and policymakers must team with Indigenous leaders to address the full range of underlying social drivers of health associated with disproportionately high rates of poverty experienced by Indigenous communities.
- A multidisciplinary approach, developed by Indigenous populations in collaboration with other experts in the field, is necessary to implement culturally appropriate interventions to address the drivers that exacerbate physical, mental, and behavioral health issues and contribute to catastrophic rates of suicide in Indigenous communities.
- Community-driven collaboration is needed among relevant governments, agencies, and Indigenous leaders to develop plans to mitigate the high rates of violence experienced by Indigenous populations.
ACP also supports actions to increase Indigenous representation in medical school student bodies and the medical workforce. More information about the position paper is available online. The full paper was published Oct. 11 by Annals of Internal Medicine.