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Give MonthlyAlzheimer’s Association Launches HBI Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
— Guide aimed at equipping American Indian and Alaska Native communities with public health strategies to improve brain health, address Alzheimer’s, dementia and caregivers’ needs —
CHICAGO, Dec. 20, 2024 — In an ongoing effort to help public health leaders serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities address brain health across the life course, the Alzheimer’s Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have launched the second edition of the Healthy Brain Initiative: Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples. The new Road Map builds on an earlier version published in 2019 and is aimed at equipping public health professionals working in AI/AN communities with strategies to improve brain health, address dementia and better meet the needs of caregivers.The Road Map was developed with input from tribal leaders, physicians, experts and researchers in public health and across the care continuum. In addition, more than 200 community members and professionals working in AI/AN communities also contributed expertise to the Road Map. Actions outlined in the guide vary in complexity and can be used by tribes and urban Indian health programs, as well as other tribal-serving organizations. The Road Map includes examples of how AI/AN communities used the 2019 Road Map to advance brain health and to support Elders living with dementia.
“Given the unique priorities, assets, and challenges within tribal nations, any response to Alzheimer’s and other dementia must be initiated and sustained by leaders and staff within the communities themselves,” said Carl V. Hill, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Alzheimer’s Association. “The Road Map reflects robust input from those living in and working with American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It provides tribal leaders and health professionals with actions to build on the community’s strengths to improve brain health and the public health response to Alzheimer's and dementia.”&
Dementia prevalence is high in AI/AN populations — and likely to grow:
- One in six AI/AN adults age 45 and older report memory or thinking difficulties.
- A 2024 study found over half (54%) of older American Indian individuals aged 70-95 have some form of cognitive impairment, including approximately 35% with mild cognitive impairment and 10% with dementia. This rate is higher than the overall rates of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in the U.S. population.
- There are nearly one million AI/AN individuals aged 65 and older. By 2060, the number of AI/AN individuals aged 65 and older is projected to increase four-fold. Since age is the greatest risk factor for dementia, the number of AI/AN individuals living with dementia is expected to increase.
The Road Map promotes health equity by using a strengths-based approach that honors diverse AI/AN cultures, with special effort towards culturally centered stories, images and graphics. It is developed with respect to tribal sovereignty and is influenced by the traditions of AI/AN peoples.
“Addressing dementia in American Indian and Alaska Native communities requires a holistic life course approach that respects and integrates indigenous knowledge, promotes cultural safety, and tackles the root social determinants of health that contribute to disparities in dementia prevalence and outcomes,” said Billie Tohee (Otoe-Missouria), National Indian Council on Aging. “We believe the Road Map will resonate with AI/AN communities and provide them with actionable steps they can take toward reducing disparities while also promoting brain health throughout life.”
Currently, there are 574 federally recognized and sovereign American Indian tribes, nations, pueblos, bands and Alaska Native villages in the United States, as well as state-recognized tribes and many other communities without federal or state recognition. It is estimated that approximately 87% of AI/AN people live in urban areas, which has resulted in a sharing of practices and cultures.
The new Road Map is part of the Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Series, which launched in 2007. All the Road Maps seek to advance the vision of the Healthy Brain Initiative that everyone deserves a life with the healthiest brain possible. The 2019 Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map for Indian Country was the first specifically aimed at AI/AN communities, and it has guided public health in state health departments nationwide — and many local health departments and tribal health organizations — around dementia and brain health in their communities.
The Healthy Brain Initiative and the development and dissemination of the HBI Road Map is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $14,229,665 with 100 percent funding by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.