The National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) has publicly expressed its support for President Joe Biden's proposed $250 million supplemental funding to combat the opioid crisis in Native American communities. The council, alongside the National Indian Health Board, the National Congress of American Indians and the Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium, articulated their backing in a letter addressed to House and Senate leadership. The funding is intended to be allocated through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as Opioid Response grants.

As per an update from NCUIH, this supplemental funding request by President Biden forms part of a larger $1.55 billion proposal aimed at tackling opioid addiction across the United States.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control reveals that the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population suffers from the highest age-adjusted overdose death rate among all racial or ethnic groups. In 2021 alone, 1,358 non-Hispanic AI/AN individuals succumbed to overdose.

In their policy update, NCUIH emphasized the necessity of significant investment in addressing the opioid crisis to preserve lives within all Native communities. "In order to save lives in all Native communities, a meaningful investment in opioid crisis is essential," stated NCUIH. They further underscored that it is incumbent upon the federal government to provide "[f]ederal health services to maintain and improve the health of the Indians," viewing this as a crucial step towards safeguarding Native lives.

As outlined on its website, NCUIH is a national non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of AI/AN populations residing in urban areas. In addition to advocacy work, it offers technical assistance, training and policy support to organizations dedicated to serving the health needs of urban-dwelling Indians.