Our desired Goal: Indigenous Peoples

The United States of America

Mainstream Health Care

The health care sector in the United States is complex and consists of an array of clinicians, hospitals and other health care facilities, insurance plans, and purchasers of health care services, all operating in various configurations of groups, networks, and independent practices. Some are based in the public sector; others operate in the private sector as either for-profit or not-for-profit entities. The health care sector also includes regulators, some voluntary and others governmental. Although these various individuals and organizations are generally referred to collectively as “the health care delivery system,” the phrase suggests an order, integration, and accountability that do not exist.

The American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations face disproportionately high rates of nutritional challenges and chronic health conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and their life expectancy in some states is demonstrated to be 20 years shorter than the national average. This population feels concerned that their health concerns are not addressed equitably compared to other racial/ ethnic minority populations.

As a registered domestic health charity, we aspire to work with our US colleagues, counterparts, friends, collaborators, and through partnership with Native Indian Health Board and other entities, and by applying global health strategies we intend to explore and examine, Native American Health care beliefs, concepts and health care history to create visibility for the health issues affecting the Indigenous Peoples in the context and spirit of global health and universal health care.

We believe, combination of Global Health and Community-based participatory research and the global health approaches may also assist in health promotion efforts in rural areas, where the majority of AI/AN people live.