COVID-19 Pandemic and Indigenous Representation in Public Health Data

Public Health 3.0 calls for the inclusion of new partners and novel data to bring systemic change to the US public health landscape. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has illuminated significant data gaps influenced by ongoing colonial legacies of racism and e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of public health (1971) 2021-10, Vol.111 (S3), p.S208-S214
Main Authors: Huyser, Kimberly R, Horse, Aggie J Yellow, Kuhlemeier, Alena A, Huyser, Michelle R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aggregate data
Alaska Natives - statistics & numerical data
American Indian or Alaska Native - statistics & numerical data
American Indians
Analytic
Collaboration
Colonialism
Community
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 diagnostic tests
COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19 Vaccines - therapeutic use
Data
Data collection
Data Collection - standards
Discrimination
Epidemiology
Expenditures
Geography
Government agencies
Health services
Humans
Mortality
Mortality rates
Native North Americans
Native Americans
Pandemics
Populations
Public Health
Public Health Practice
Racism
Research & Analysis
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Social response
Sovereignty
State government
States
Surveillance
Systemic racism
United States - epidemiology
United States Indian Health Service - statistics & numerical data
Vaccines
Viral diseases
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Summary:Public Health 3.0 calls for the inclusion of new partners and novel data to bring systemic change to the US public health landscape. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has illuminated significant data gaps influenced by ongoing colonial legacies of racism and erasure. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations and communities have been disproportionately affected by incomplete public health data and by the COVID-19 pandemic itself. Our findings indicate that only 26 US states were able to calculate COVID-19‒related death rates for AI/AN populations. Given that 37 states have Indian Health Service locations, we argue that public health researchers and practitioners should have a far larger data set of aggregated public health information on AI/AN populations. Despite enormous obstacles, local Tribal facilities have created effective community responses to COVID-19 testing, tracking, and vaccine administration. Their knowledge can lead the way to a healthier nation. Federal and state governments and health agencies must learn to responsibly support Tribal efforts, collect data from AI/AN persons in partnership with Indian Health Service and Tribal governments, and communicate effectively with Tribal authorities to ensure Indigenous data sovereignty. ( . 2021;111(S3): S208-S214. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306415).
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2021.306415