Honoring National Native American Heritage Month

November is National Native American Heritage Month, and as we recognize the immense achievements and contributions of the first peoples of this country, I want to reiterate PhRMA’s commitment to closing health disparities and the need for more diverse representation in the medical field. 

In the class of 2019, nearly 20,000 students graduated from medical schools across the U.S., but just 38 of those physicians identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native (AIAN). This number is even more staggering when put into greater context. AIAN make up 1.7% of the U.S. population but only 0.2% of 2019’s medical school graduating class. 

At the same time, COVID-19 has disproportionately harmed Native American communities. In the places with the largest populations of Native Americans, the rate of known COVID-19 cases is nearly double the national average. Our nation’s entire public health sector can and must do better to serve all people. 

At PhRMA, we are committed to overcoming the challenges that lead to health inequities. For example, we are working on policy solutions and research that uncover and solve for social determinants of health. We are also dedicated to bringing the economic driver of biopharmaceutical companies to more communities, investing in STEM education and expanding our diversity and inclusion efforts so that people of all backgrounds can work and succeed in our industry. 

It’s our mission to better help the patients we serve, because we know that lives and communities are on the line.

Steve Ubl is President & CEO of PhRMA