Strengthening Public Health Systems and Services in Indian Country - The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. (ITCA), established in 1951, is a 501c3 non-profit Tribal organization in Phoenix, Arizona (AZ) to provide a united voice to Tribal governments in Arizona. The ITCA Tribal Epidemiology Center (ITCA TEC), established in 1996, provides training and technical assistance (T/TA) in public health services, such as data collection, management, analysis, and reporting; grant writing, strategic planning, and program evaluation. ITCA TEC supports 47 Tribes and bands in the Indian Health Service (IHS) Phoenix-Tucson Service Areas, including Tribes in Arizona (AZ), Nevada (NV), and Utah (UT). American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations in the IHS Phoenix-Tucson Service Areas are disproportionately affected by health problems. AI/AN mortality rates are higher for all causes and life expectancy is the lowest. Related factors include economic disparities, geographic isolation, and lack of culture recognition in policy, public health, and healthcare systems. ITCA TEC works with Tribes to address these disparities, but is often under-staffed or under-funded to bolster public health interventions. This project will address these health concerns by expanding Tribal public health programs and services, building public health workforce capacity, and improving data and information systems. The overall goal is to implement culturally appropriate public health programs and services to reduce health disparities among AI/AN people. The proposed project will leverage existing partnerships with IHS, Arizona Department of Health Services, Inter Tribal Council of Nevada, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Utah American Indian Health Advisory Board, Utah Department of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, 7 Directions, and the Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TEC-Consortium). ITCA TEC will also collaborate with other contractors to facilitate specialized T/TA and webinars. ITCA TEC is requesting to be funded approximately $180,000 a year for 5 years.
