American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) face some of the highest rates of health disparities and poverty among ethnic and minority groups in the United States. Access to quality healthcare remains a critical challenge for many within AI/AN communities.
In Brief
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports a troubling decline in life expectancy for AI/AN individuals, which has decreased by nearly 10 years.
The average life expectancy for AI/ANs is now 65 years, equivalent to the nationwide average in 1944.
According to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, AI/ANs suffer from higher mortality rates than other Americans due to various health conditions.
Addressing Tribal Health Issues
To help address this disproportional health burden and improve the health of AI/ANs, Direct Relief partners with Tribal governments, hospitals and clinics, community-based organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, the Indian Health Service and others.
Key Initiatives
Primary Care
Direct Relief donates millions of dollars’ worth of requested medicine and supplies to Tribal healthcare facilities on an annual basis.
Disaster Relief
From wildfires to tornadoes and other extreme weather events, Direct Relief responds to the needs of Tribal communities when disasters strike.
Power for Health
Equipping Tribal health facilities with resilient power to address chronic underfunding of power infrastructure and ensure patient care during outages.
Health Equity
Direct Relief supports communities affected by socioeconomic disparities by providing essential medical resources and assistance.
Tribal Health Partners
Land Acknowledgement
Direct Relief acknowledges that it is located on the ancestral land of the Chumash people and honors and respects past, current, and future generations as the original inhabitants and custodians of this land who are forever tied to it. Direct Relief further acknowledges that California is home to 109 Tribal Nations and over 40 self-recognized Tribal bands and communities. Direct Relief’s mission of improving the lives of others affected by poverty and emergencies is global and recognizes the ancestral lands upon which our work occurs, and which have been ably kept and sustained by their original inhabitants.
Direct Relief honors and respects the sovereignty of all Tribal Nations and strives to build long-term relationships with them and Tribal bands and communities by supporting their efforts to build and sustain safe and healthy individuals, communities, and Nations.
