Summary
Precision public health offers the promise of improving health equity by delivering the “right intervention at the right time, every time to the right population.” But the COVID-19 pandemic underscored how far the United States is from delivering on that promise, especially for marginalized urban and rural American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations.
Findings: Using Urban Indian Health Institute data from January 2020 to January 2021, authors compile a report card measuring completeness of state and federal reporting of race and COVID-19 data on the AIAN population, with a rating of D-minus for the U.S. overall. Eighteen states earned A to B-minus grades; 16 earned C-plus to D-minus grades; 16 earned F grades. Authors then discuss the failure to collect relevant data on AIAN populations, barriers to data dissemination about the AIAN population, and less than optimal use of data to effectively inform public policy regarding AIAN health.