June 2023 – The Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health is excited to announce a new publication in The Lancet co-authored by CIH Co-Director Dr. Donald Warne and Dr. Allison Kelliher. The article discussed the substantial challenges that Indigenous Peoples face across the world today, and the overarching need to “establish a framework on the Indigenous determinants of health derived from Indigenous Peoples’ communities.”
In response to these needs, a study by members of UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) and the Indigenous Determinants of Health Working Group (IDHWG) on the determinants of Indigenous health was formally considered and adopted at the 22nd session of the UNPFII in April of 2023. From this panel, key priority areas for addressing Indigenous determinants of Indigenous health included international health agencies recognizing “Indigeneity” and “colonialism” as health determinants, and direct support from nation states to design and develop Indigenous-led implementation plans. (See Figure 1.)
On a final note, the article stressed the importance of addressing determinants of Indigenous health and well-being, and called on nations and other national entities to act immediately:
“We are living in a pivotal time in human history. Our planet, Mother Earth, is in crisis. Indigenous Peoples steward 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity and, therefore, the wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples is an explicit determinant of planetary health. The Indigenous determinants of health are not only for Indigenous Peoples, but also have a benefit that is intimately connected to the future survival of all humanity and the planet. The strengths and wisdom inherent to Indigenous Peoples are ‘intrinsically connected to everything that exists on the planet.’
To read the full article, click here.