Despite being medically approved for use by pregnant people addicted to opioids, buprenorphine and medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, has been controversial both in Indian Country, where the opioid epidemic has hit especially hard, and beyond. But for advocates, the medication is a much-needed resource, which is why some are lobbying for more investment in tribal nations through a fully funded Indian Health Service (IHS). Anything less than that creates an endless cycle of deferral and opioid dependency, explained Sam Moose, the National Indian Health Board’s treasurer and area representative in Bemidji, Minnesota, in a written testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in March. Moose argued that Congress’ historic refusal to fully fund the IHS has forced the agency to defer patient care and push more tribal members toward prescription opioids to treat health conditions that would otherwise have been treated with more expensive therapies. The data on opioid dependency in Indian Country bears that out. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Native American women in the state are 8.7 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to be diagnosed with opioid dependency or use during pregnancy. Native American infants are 7.4 times more likely to be born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a group of symptoms related to sudden discontinuation of addictive substances. The rate of drug-related deaths among Native Americans and Alaska Natives is nearly twice that of the general population, according to data from the Indian Health Service. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that in 2015, Native Americans and Alaska Natives had the highest rates of death from drug overdose of any ethnicity.
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(Rewire.News October 16, 2018)
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