Minority and Multicultural Health

Aniin

Niswi Abinoojiinhyag Ji-bimaadiziwaad is Ojibwe for “saving three babies”.

Minnesota has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the United States. Yet, Minnesota’s American Indian babies die at a rate of two to three times higher than in our White population. This disparity in infant mortality rates has existed for more than 20 years - at least as long as infant mortality rates have been calculated by race and ethnicity by the MDH Center for Health Statistics. Although the total number of infant deaths has been reduced in Minnesota during the last two decades, the disparity in that number between our White and American Indian babies persists.

In 2005, the Commissioner of Health established the American Indian Infant Mortality Review Project in response to community and professional concerns. A report based on the findings of the project was issued in the Summer of 2008. In the report, the leading causes of infant death in our American Indian communities were identified as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and sleep-related unintentional injury. Two years after the team concluded its work, a sub-group of committed members from the team took on the challenge of addressing the findings and recommendations that surfaced. The goal of the team is to reduce infant mortality in our Native American Community to reach parity with the mainstream population. In further examination of the data, it was concluded that we only need to save three babies a year to reach that goal.

We will share the findings and recommendations from this report at the Leech Lake Tribal Health Infant Mortality Conference, “Niswi Abinoojiinhyag Ji-bimaadiziwaad,” for both the urban and tribal communities across Minnesota on March 17 and 18. The conference has been planned with multiple partners including White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, the Twin Cities Urban Indian community and the Minnesota Department of Health. The conference will also feature prominent national and local experts offering resources, curricula, and models to strengthen partnerships for implementing recommendations.

A special invitation is extended to local public health officials, hospital administrators and other health professionals along with the American Indian community to come together to ensure healthy babies and healthy American Indian communities.

Please join us.

Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Smith
Tribal Health Liaison

American Indian Infant Mortality Report 2008 (PDF 799KB/100 pages)

Leech Lake Tribal Health Infant Mortality Conference

previous messages

Message from Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Sanne Magnan

Eliminating health disparities has been an important priority for the Minnesota Department of Health for the past decade. It will continue to be a priority for our work internally within the department as well as for our work with community partners.

We have made progress in a number of areas. For example:

• Infant mortality rates have declined for all population groups with decreases in disparities in infant mortality rates ranging from 26.3 percent to 75 percent for populations of color and American Indians.
• Disparities in heart disease mortality rates have decreased for African Americans/Africans by 94.3 percent and while heart disease remains an issue for Asians and Hispanics, no disparities exist.
• Disparities in new HIV infections have decreased for American Indians by 51.8 percent.
• Disparities in homicide mortality have decreased for racial/ethnic groups ranging from 6.8 percent for American Indians to 48.3 percent for African Americans/Africans.
• Disparities in cervical cancer incidence have decreased for Asians by 32.9 percent and African Americans/Africans by 54.2 percent.

But we know that significant disparities remain in multiple areas, and we must continue our efforts. During the 2009 legislative session, we sustained our investment in health reform, including the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), which will address tobacco and obesity, the leading preventable causes of illness and death. We also sustained the investment in implementing health care homes. Both of these initiatives are being held accountable in legislation to decrease health disparities.

We also requested, the Legislature awarded, and the governor signed into law an additional investment in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to be able to better measure disparities. In addition, we plan to continue a community grant program within the Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative to address disparities.

In the coming months, we will continue to develop strategies that hold promise for narrowing the health gaps among populations of color and American Indians. With input from our Advisory Board and communities, we also plan to look further upstream to better understand and address the root causes of these disparities.

If you have any questions, please contact OMMH Director José L. González at 651-201-5818 or jose.gonzalez@state.mn.us.