The Navajo Area Indian Health Services and the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) have signed a memorandum of agreement to support rural health initiatives through data sharing.
Dr. Laura Parajón, Director of the Center for Health Protection at NMDOH, said the coordination between the state and the Navajo Nation is crucial.
“It's important that Navajo Nation has the same access to high-quality data that we do, that they get similar data that allows Navajo Nation themselves to conduct their own analysis, and that they can design their own culturally meaningful public health interventions for themselves,” she said.
The agreement is a first step in a partnership between state and tribal public health departments to make sharing information easier and filling gaps in data. It will help better identify unmet needs, coordinate care and monitor outcomes.
Janet Johnson (Santa Clara Pueblo), tribal liaison for NMDOH, said tribal leaders need to be able to access data instantly, such as a system used to track sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.
“And that will help Navajo Area IHS support their public health surveillance, and give them that real-time access to see where these outbreaks are occurring, what they need to do and, with our support, to be able to better address any issues and concerns that are affecting their populations,” she said.
The current agreement does not include any state appropriations.
Support for this coverage comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
