‘Native American communities hit by Covid, worsening chronic inequities’

Washington : The Covid-19 pandemic has deepened disparities in infrastructure, education and healthcare in the US, a media report said.

Challenges affecting indigenous groups ranged from health inequities to inadequate infrastructurea. And nearly all of these problems were worsened by the pandemic, Xinhua news agency quoted Josh Arce, president of the Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA), as saying to the Guardian in an interview.

The community was disproportionately affected by Covid-19, dying from the virus at twice the rate of white Americans, said the chief of one of the largest Native American-run non-profits.

He said the health infrastructure in Native American communities, provided through the Indian Health Service, is often substandard, with hospitals and other medical centres generally under-resourced and understaffed.

Meanwhile, Native Americans are more likely to be uninsured, adding another barrier to tackling complicated health challenges.

With “sky high” rates of suicide among Native American teenagers, the President also worried the poor mental health condition and limited resources to address such issues were deteriorating amid the pandemic.

Economic challenges such as poverty, affecting one out of three Native Americans, and high unemployment rates are also chronic concerns in Native American communities, Arce added.