Provide a short summary of this article. It only needs to be one paragraph with about 4 or 5 sentences.

Breaking the cycle
It’s clear that Indigenous communities need new or upgraded hospitals and clinics, more and better diagnostic technology, more specialty services in dental care, obstetrics, pediatrics and oncology, and more alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs.

There is some good news: The Biden administration’s 2022 infrastructure bill makes $13 billion available to address some of these needs for Native American tribes. And an additional $20 billion appropriation for COVID-19 relief will also provide help for some of the most immediate challenges.

But even with this aid, there is still a funding gap. The National Indian Health Board, a nonprofit advocacy group representing federally recognized tribes, recommends a commitment of $48 billion for the 2024 fiscal year to fully fund the health needs of Indigenous people. The current budget, $9.3 billion, is less than one-fifth of that.

The recent increases in funding are certainly a step in the right direction. But the factors contributing to the shorter lives of Native Americans started generations ago, and they are still reverberating among the youngest of us today.

Both from a professional standpoint – as well as one that is very personal to me and my ancestors – more work in this area cannot come soon enough.
Provide a short summary of this article. It only needs to be one paragraph with about 4 or 5 sentences.

Breaking the cycle
It’s clear that Indigenous communities need new or upgraded hospitals and clinics, more and better diagnostic technology, more specialty services in dental care, obstetrics, pediatrics and oncology, and more alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs.

There is some good news: The Biden administration’s 2022 infrastructure bill makes $13 billion available to address some of these needs for Native American tribes. And an additional $20 billion appropriation for COVID-19 relief will also provide help for some of the most immediate challenges.

But even with this aid, there is still a funding gap. The National Indian Health Board, a nonprofit advocacy group representing federally recognized tribes, recommends a commitment of $48 billion for the 2024 fiscal year to fully fund the health needs of Indigenous people. The current budget, $9.3 billion, is less than one-fifth of that.

The recent increases in funding are certainly a step in the right direction. But the factors contributing to the shorter lives of Native Americans started generations ago, and they are still reverberating among the youngest of us today.

Both from a professional standpoint – as well as one that is very personal to me and my ancestors – more work in this area cannot come soon enough.
user
Indigenous populations need more access to healthcare and better facilities. Newer or upgraded hospitals, more and better diagnostic technology, better dental, obstetrics, pediatrics, and oncology services, and especially alcohol and substance abuse programs are all needed in Indigenous communities. While billions of dollars are becoming available to address some of these needs, there is still a very large funding gap. Though this money is starting to help, the National Indian Health Board - a nonprofit advocacy group - states that the current budget is less than one-fifth of what is truly needed. 
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