- Details
- By Press Releases
Kevin Allis
“We cannot ignore the elevated risks faced by Indian Country from this virus,“ said NCAI CEO Kevin Allis. “The federal government’s chronic underfunding of its treaty and trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives must end – lives are at risk.” American Indian and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) experience higher rates of the underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of severe illness and death caused by COVID-19 as compared to the general U.S. population. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those at highest risk for complications associated with COVID-19 are the elderly (age 60+) and those with chronic diseases or who are immunocompromised, which include:
- Heart disease
- Lung disease including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- Endocrine disorders such as diabetes
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic liver disease
- Compromised immune system; taking immunosuppression medications
- 16 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native households in tribal areas are overcrowded compared to 2 percent for the United States.
- Among the 213 largest tribal areas, the quarter with the highest levels of overcrowding—all more than 18 percent— was mostly in the poorest regions—the Plains, Arizona/New Mexico, and Alaska.
More Stories Like This
Indigenous Journalists Association President Addresses Members of the UNPFIIInter-Tribal Council Passes Resolution Urging FCC to Establish Specific Event Code for Missing and Endangered Persons
Native News Weekly (April 21 2024): D.C. Briefs
Q+A: Journalist Connie Walker Reflects on Season 3 of 'Stolen' Podcast Investigating Navajo Nation MMIP Cases
Native Bidaské with Sarah Eagle Heart (Oglála Lakota) on the Indigenous Fashion Collective
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.