Tribal Health Update: CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory: Rapid Increase in Ivermectin Prescriptions and Reports of Severe Illness Associated with Use of Products Containing Ivermectin to Prevent or Treat COVID-19

What is ivermectin? It is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription medication used to treat certain infections caused by internal and external parasites. Ivermectin is NOT authorized or approved by the FDA for prevention or treatment of COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel has also determined that there are currently insufficient data to recommend ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19. FDA has cautioned about the potential risks of use for prevention or treatment of COVID-19, and Poison control centers increasingly receive reports of adverse effects associated with ivermectin misuse and overdose. Read more.

National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking information from Tribal environmental health professionals on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted environmental health work in Tribal communities, especially with regards to food safety.

If you are a Tribal environmental health or food safety professional, please fill out this short survey to help guide NIHB’s work in this area. Should you be interested, NIHB staff can arrange for a follow up conversation over the phone about best practices, policies, and procedures being implemented for your ongoing COVID-19 response implementation efforts and planning activities. Please email Audrianna Marzette at [email protected] or Brett Weber at [email protected] for more information.

Are you a Native woman who has embarked on a journey to quit smoking in the past year? National Indian Health Board (NIHB) would like to hear from you! If you are interested in a brief (approx. 20 minute) phone call so we can hear about your journey to stop using commercial tobacco products during the COVID-19 pandemic and what advice you’d offer to other Native women experiencing tobacco addiction, please email Brett Weber at [email protected].

The climate crisis has and will have significant health impacts on Indigenous communities, from an increased incidence of extreme weather events to environmental changes to traditional food sources. The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has created a new Office of Climate Change and Health Equity in response to an executive order signed by President Biden in January 2021. The Office’s mission statement is “to protect vulnerable communities who disproportionately bear the brunt of pollution and climate-driven disasters, such as drought and wildfires, at the expense of public health.” Read more here.

Tribal healthcare workers can earn continuing education (CE) credits by taking courses available from Project Firstline (PFL). Two new courses have been added to the many infection control courses offered through PFL. Tribal healthcare workers can learn about Ventilation, Source Control, and Hand Hygiene and How COVID-19 Spreads and earn CE’s (CME, CNE, or CPE) credits. These courses and many others can be accessed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Training and Continuing Education Online (TCEO) website HERE. Additionally, Tribal healthcare workers can earn CE’s by watching Inside Infection Control, a series of short videos focused on infection control. To earn CE’s for watching the videos, Tribal healthcare workers must launch the videos and print a certificate of completion from the CDC TRAIN learning network HERE.

Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health discusses lifestyle changes you can make to prevent dementia in this article. As the American Indian and Alaska Native aging population grows, the prevalence of dementia is likewise expected to grow. No matter how old you are, there are strategies that you can start right now to improve your chances of preventing dementia, including challenging your mind, increasing physical activity, and choosing colorful foods. Read more here. Visit National Indian Health Board's (NIHB's) Brain Health for Tribal Nations webpage for more information about a public health approach to addressing brain health in Indian Country.

With Native Americans experiencing the nation’s second highest risk of pregnancy-related mortality, a renewed focus on traditional foods is helping them achieve healthy births while addressing ongoing traumas of colonization and food apartheid. Read the article here.

The Indian Health Service (IHS) National Tribal Advisory Committee on Behavioral Health (NTAC) membership roster currently has ten vacancies. There are four Area Primary vacant positions and six Area Alternate positions. The following areas have vacant positions:

For more information or questions regarding these vacancies, please contact Michele Muir-Howard at [email protected].

Applications close November, 15, 2021 at 7:59pm ET

The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) will soon be offering a multi-year funding opportunity for retail food regulatory agencies in their efforts to reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness and increase conformance with the Retail Program Standards. The Grant Program has three tracks depending on the level of capacity of the applicant. Read more.

Applications due Monday, September 6, 2021

The Indian Health Service (IHS) has announced two Community Health Aide Program (CHAP) funding opportunities.

Applications are due by September 17, 2021

National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is requesting applications for a new opportunity for supporting maternal American Indian and Alaska Native maternal health through Tribal-led Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs). NIHB anticipates funding for up to 12 proposals from Tribes, Tribal consortia, and Tribal organizations for up to $7,500 each. Through this opportunity, grantees will participate in a self-assessment over an 8-month period to explore key components of Tribal-led MMRCs and assess their readiness to establish and sustain a Tribal-led MMRC. Tribal-led MMRCs that respect American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) culture may result in identification of meaningful and effective maternal mortality prevention strategies for AI/AN communities. The intended outcomes for the Tribal-led MMRC Self-Assessment project include: Understanding the unique needs of Tribes for maintaining a successful MMRC, increasing knowledge capacity in AI/AN maternal mortality prevention efforts, and increasing partnerships among Tribes and Tribal organizations. The application deadline is Friday, September 17, 2021 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. To download the application packet and read more about the project, click here. 

Due: Friday, September 24^th 2021, at 11:59 PM ET

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are pleased to announce the fourth cycle of funding for Strong Systems, Stronger Communities (SSSC) for Tribes. Through this opportunity, grantees will participate in self-assessment of capacity and departmental needs or perform work by choosing projects related to performance improvement or systems improvement. NIHB anticipates funding up to 8 proposals under 2 categories:

The application deadline is Friday, September 24, 2021, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Please read the full funding description and download the application packages here.

NIH Maternal Health Funding for Prevention of Perinatal Depression: Improving Intervention Delivery for At-Risk Individuals

Due date: October 9, 2021

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced two funding opportunities for applications to refine and examine preliminary effectiveness of perinatal depression preventive interventions in settings where women receive perinatal care. Tribal entities are encouraged to apply. Read more on RFA-MH-21-240 or RFA-MH-21-241.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a “Community Development Block Grant Program for Indian Tribes an Alaska Native Villages.” This grant program will provide funds for housing rehabilitation, economic development projects, healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, and many other infrastructure related projects within Tribal communities. For the application instructions to apply for this funding click here. To apply for this funding click here. Any questions or comments regarding this funding can be sent to [email protected]. 

On August 9, the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities released a funding opportunity for a selected resource center to provide both support and technical assistance for Tribal Epidemiology centers. This funding is being awarded to aid in research and data science capacity relating to American Indian and Alaska Native populations. If awarded this funding, the center would begin work in July of 2022. If you or an organization within your Tribal community is interested in receiving these funds, please submit a letter of intent by October 30, 2021. To apply online click here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is seeking qualified candidates for the following open positions in the Public Health Policy and Programs Department based in Washington, DC.

Job descriptions are available here.

One of the goals of The National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Project Firstline: Tribal Infection Prevention and Control Capacity Building Program is to “develop and/or adapt existing materials to inform Tribal health professionals about important components of infection prevention and control (IPC)”. To support this endeavor, NIHB is in the process of compiling current materials and plans which Tribal Health Organizations and Systems currently use or have used. NIHB is seeking assistance with gathering information about existing infection control learning materials and/or infection control response plans. Recognizing that many Tribes and Tribal organizations have set an example in their response through great planning, NIHB requests that anyone willing to share their materials to please contact Carmen Sanders at [email protected].

On the National Indian Health Board’s (NIHB) Brain Health for Tribal Nations webpage, you can now submit a request for technical assistance for implementing the Roadmap to Indian Country strategies, hosting a Brain Health Action Institute, locating resources, starting conversations on brain health in your community, and more. Read more here.

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) created a response plan template as a resource for Tribes, Pueblos, and Nations to use in developing COVID-19 or other outbreak response plans or in cross-walking with existing plans. In recognition of Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, the response template acknowledges that Tribes, Pueblos, and Nations may differ in respect to their approaches to COVID-19-related mitigation and response. Therefore, this document serves as a starting or reference point for Tribal nations to review and determine what content may be relevant to their unique circumstances. Read more here.

Doctors, nurses, researchers and community health care workers provide facts and dispel misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines. The latest installment about the COVID vaccines and children is created in partnership between KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) the Black Coalition Against COVID, UnidosUS, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The new FAQ videos featuring pediatricians is hosted by comedian and TV host, W. Kamau Bell asking questions that many parents and caregivers have about the vaccine. The conversation features Drs. Shaquita Bell, Rhea Boyd and Yvonne Maldonado. Watch the recording and full series here. 

The National Indian Health Board is committed to serving Tribal Nations in response to the coronavirus outbreak. We welcome your requests and feedback. Contact Courtney Wheeler at [email protected] or 202-507-4081.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great tool to help you make decisions on when to seek testing and medical care. Tribal members who are 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 can use the tool to help decide when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Tribal members can use the on-line tool to find recommended actions and resources based on their response to questions in the Self-checker tool. 

Indian Country Dementia ECHO for Health Care Workers and Caregivers 

Date: 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of every month at 2-3pm ET

The Dementia Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) Program: For Health Care Workers and Caregivers begins on September 9^th (clinical program) and September 23^rd (caregiver support program). The program is designed to support I/T/U clinicians and caregivers to strengthen the knowledge and care around dementia for Tribal patients. Learn more.

The National Indian Health Board is hosting the final webinar in a 3-part series on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). This webinar will be focused on Safety Planning/Immediate Intervention after Abuse Occurs. Guest speaker, Lisa Morad-McCoy, Senior Program Therapist, will provide information on the benefits of providing skilled clinical care and addressing emotional and/or physical safety of clients who disclose abuse. The webinar is recommended for Tribal behavioral health professionals, public health professionals, education staff and anyone who works with AI/AN communities around IPV. Register here. For more information, contact Chyna Locklear at [email protected].

September 10-11, 2021 (virtual)

The 9th International Meeting on Indigenous Child Health (IMICH) – the only conference dedicated to the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, American Indian, Alaska Native and other Indigenous children and youth in North America and around the world - is taking place on September 10 and 11, 2021. The National Indian Health Board is pleased to serve on the planning committee for the IMICH as the work of the IMICH aligns with several NIHB public health and youth-focused strategic priorities. Those interested may register here.

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) recently announced plans for the Pathways Recognition Program that will provide a guided progression through public health accreditation for interested public health departments. The Pathways Program includes two proposed models that will support performance improvement and infrastructure efforts, serve as milestones, and build accreditation readiness. To foster an environment for Tribal inclusion and feedback to be included in the development and selection of the final program model, the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) and PHAB partnered to offer an overview of the program.

Tribal voices are essential in ensuring this program addresses gaps and challenges that impact the progression of Tribal health departments during their journey to public health accreditation. We ask that you please review the program overview and models prior to the call. Due to the nature of time, we will not be reviewing the models during the meeting. Registration can be complete here.

September 14-16, at 1:30pm-5:15pm ET

In an effort to find lasting solutions to the public safety challenges Tribal communities encounter and to protect them from violence, abuse, and exploitation, a national symposium on missing or murdered indigenous persons (MMIP) related issues for federal, state, Tribal and local stakeholders is being held September 14-16, 2021. This MMIP training is via webinar and will address important topics like data collection, victim advocacy, creating a community strategy for addressing missing persons, and working collaboratively across jurisdictions. The webinar is free. Learn more here.

September 21–23, 2021

Join the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office of Regional Operations (ORO) in Seattle in collaboration with Health and Human Services (HHS) operating divisions and Tribal and Urban Indian Organizations in Region 10 for the 2021 American Indian/ Alaska Native (AI/AN) multidisciplinary health summit. The summit will focus on promising practices and innovative approaches to improve AI/AN health and address disparities in the midst of COVID-19. Read more. 

The National Indian Health Board (NIHB) is excited to invite you to its annual National Tribal Health Conference (NTHC)! The theme of this year's conference is, "The Future of Native Health in Our Changing World!"

The Early Bird Registration Rate for the NTHC ends September 3rd! Starting September 4th, registration rates for attendees will increase by $70 to $420. Youth rates will remain the same price of $125.

Join NIHB for 5-days of action-packed plenary sessions, informative workshops from experts across Indian Country, and consultation and listening sessions with federal agencies. Make sure to stick around for the last day of the conference for sessions dedicated to technology in American Indian and Alaska Native health systems!