The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through Indian Health Service (IHS), has awarded $2.5 million to support the development of produce prescription programs in Tribal communities, aiming to reduce food insecurity and improve health outcomes among American Indian and Alaska Native people.
“Food is medicine and nutrition is health. It is critical that all Americans have access to healthy food," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a July 31 news release. "Programs like this feed directly into our Administration’s goal of building healthier communities at the local level. This announcement will help to make it easier for American Indian and Alaska Native communities to enjoy healthy eating and good nutrition.”
The IHS Produce Prescription Pilot Program seeks to increase access to produce and traditional foods within Native communities, the release reported. The program is part of the Biden-Harris administration's National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to combat food insecurity and promote healthy eating and physical activity by 2030.
It has been demonstrated produce prescription programs boost access to wholesome foods in neighborhoods at risk for food insecurity. By making it easier to get fruits and vegetables, these programs assist in meeting the requirements of individuals and families dealing with food insecurity and diet-related health issues, the release reported.
This program aims to show and assess how produce prescription programs affect American Indian and Alaska Native people and their families, particularly in terms of lowering food insecurity, enhancing dietary health by boosting consumption of fruits, vegetables and traditional foods and enhancing medical outcomes, the release said.
Compared to non-Native people, American Indian and Alaska Native people are more likely to experience food insecurity and to reside in locations with limited or no access to fresh foods than any other racial or ethnic group. According to the release, approximately one in four Native Americans, as opposed to one in nine Americans overall, face food insecurity.
Water scarcity, land loss, forced migration and environmental contamination all have a severe influence on traditional healthy food practices and contribute to the increased rates of food insecurity among American Indian and Alaska Native people. Produce Prescription Pilot Program Programming leadership, in-depth training and resources are all provided by the IHS Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention and are heavily utilized by program sites and doctors around the nation, the release said.
