Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
AASTEC Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country 3.0 - Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke and their associated risk factors exact a heightened toll on the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population in the form of disproportionate morbidity/mortality, exorbitant medical costs, premature death, loss of productivity, and diminished quality of life. These alarming health trends led the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center’s (AASTEC) Executive Council, a representative body of tribal leaders and health directors, to designate chronic disease prevention and management as a top strategic priority. Public health framing of health disparities typically focuses on social determinants of health (SDOH), but simply framing chronic disease disparities as being driven by SDOH (i.e., food security, socioeconomic status, access to care, reliable transportation, safe housing, neighborhood characteristics, etc.) does not describe the deep historical roots of the health conditions impacting AI/AN today. Settler colonialism and the seizing of AI/AN land and resources that began when European colonizing nations first arrived in what is now known as the U.S., and the imposition of unjust federal Indian policies cannot be ignored as factors that have contributed to the disproportionate burden of chronic diseases experienced by AI/AN. To address the persistent and pervasive health disparities and injustices experienced by AI/ANs, strategies driven by tribal core values that reflect Indigenous realities and Indigenous lifeworlds that are inclusive of tribal beliefs, systems, practices, identities, and histories must emerge and be led by tribes. This 5-year Cultural Approach to Good Health and Wellness Component 2 project will mobilize a multidisciplinary partnership of the Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (AASTEC), its parent organization the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, Inc. (AAIHB), the 27 Indian Health Service (IHS) Albuquerque Area Tribes, and external partners to address the burden of the aforementioned chronic diseases and their affiliated risk factors among the AI/AN population in our region. AASTEC will provide funding, training, technical assistance, and evaluation support to Albuquerque Area Tribes, urban Indian organizations, and other tribal entities to conduct activities across all Component 1 strategies and training/TA to establish tribal driven policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes that promote health and prevent chronic diseases and their risk factors. Routine trainings will be provided in the domains of Native fitness and physical activity, holistic health strategies, chronic disease prevention and management, team-based health care, PSE strategies, and other topics identified by tribes during the first two rounds of GHWIC. A cadre of up to 340 tribal paraprofessionals will also be trained to become integrated members of chronic disease prevention/management teams within their local health care systems. AASTEC will provide subawards for up to 14 Albuquerque Area Tribes to implement Component 1 strategies that build on existing community priorities and infrastructure to: 1) provide a foundation for chronic disease prevention by implementing community-chosen, traditional AI/AN practices that build resilience and strengthen connections to family, culture, and community; 2) establish and enhance systems that connect community members to community, clinical, and social services and programs to prevent, manage, and control chronic diseases and their risk factors; and 3) promote the implementation of multi-disciplinary team-based care to prevent, manage, and control chronic diseases and to connect patients to community and social service providers to address health-related social and economic needs. The aim of this project is to support a holistic approach to health and wellbeing to prevent, manage, and control chronic diseases.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).