Native American Heritage Month, observed every November in the United States, celebrates the diverse Tribal cultures, traditions, and histories of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN).
AI/AN people frequently contend with economic and environmental issues (known as social determinants of health) that prevent them from receiving quality medical care, including cultural barriers, racial bias, geographic isolation, inadequate housing, and low income.
The HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) is committed to advancing Better Health Through Better Understanding for AI/AN individuals and communities by ensuring connections to culturally appropriate healthcare services, information, and resources. Visit this year’s Native American Heritage Month website to find resources, programs, and events that focus on improving the health of AI/AN communities through native language preservation, culturally respectful care, and collaboration with sovereign Tribal nations.
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The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and OMH are seeking community-led strategies and tools to address health disparities in communities disproportionately impacted by environmental risks and hazards including those related to climate change, and the cumulative impacts of other stressors.
For years, studies have demonstrated that members of racial and ethnic minority, Tribal, and other vulnerable populations are disproportionately burdened by environmental and climate change-related hazards. These populations are more likely than other groups to be exposed to environmental threats that drive health disparities. Many of these communities are underserved and surrounded by compounding inequities such as job insecurity, diminished healthcare options, linguistic isolation, underperforming schools, crowded homes, lack of access to healthy foods and transportation, and limitations on access to and participation in local, regional, and Federal decision-making processes that impact exposure to environmental pollution and climate change-related hazards.
The HHS Environmental Justice Community Innovator Challenge provides an opportunity for community voices to participate in developing innovative approaches to addressing the adverse health impacts of environmental conditions and increase resilience within their local, disproportionately impacted communities.
Visit Challenge.gov to learn more about the Challenge, including submission requirements, timelines, and judging criteria.
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November is National Diabetes Month, and this year’s theme is Take Charge of Tomorrow: Preventing Diabetes Health Problems. Research shows that managing your diabetes as soon as possible after diagnosis may help prevent diabetes health problems.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. It affects about 37 million Americans, including adults and youth. Diabetes can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart, and is linked to some types of cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, certain racial and ethnic groups are at a higher risk of developing diabetes than other groups. Results from a 2019 survey estimated the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in the U.S. was highest among American Indians and Alaska Natives (14.5%), followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (12.1%), people of Hispanic origin (11.8%), non-Hispanic Asians (9.5%) and non-Hispanic Whites (7.4%).
Visit the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)’s National Diabetes Month website to download their toolkit and to find tips on how to help take charge of your diabetes and prevent health problems.
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National Rural Health Day (NRHD), observed on the third Thursday of November, celebrates the efforts of rural health care providers, organizations, local health departments, and other stakeholders dedicated to addressing social determinants of health and the challenges that rural communities face today and into the future.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), rural communities struggle with a shortage of qualified health care providers. Within rural areas, members of racial and ethnic minority, Tribal, and other diverse groups are at higher risk for poor health outcomes. AI/AN, African American, and Hispanic/Latino adults living in rural areas reported higher rates of fair or poor health compared to non-Hispanic white adults. Rural African American and AI/AN adults are more likely to have multiple chronic health conditions than non-Hispanic white adults.
NRHD is an opportunity to explore ways health professionals, organizations, state and local governments, and others can address these disparities and work toward achieving health equity.
Visit the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health’s Power of Rural website to find NRHD graphics, content for social media, planning guides, a bilingual coloring book, and more. Visit HRSA’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) website to learn more about federal programs designed to build health care capacity at both the local and state levels for residents of rural communities.
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In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the OMH Knowledge Center is featuring a collection of resources related to health disparities and barriers to accessing health care in AI/AN populations. Topics include mental and behavioral health, food security and sovereignty, the impact of COVID-19 on Tribal communities, and more. Many of these resources are available online for free.
You can access this collection through the OMH Knowledge Center online catalog.
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