COVID-19 in Navajo Nation: How Project HOPE is Responding
Navajo Nation has faced a heavy load of COVID-19 cases, with more than 1 in 10 people on the reservation having contracted the virus. Learn more about how Project HOPE is partnering with Indian Health Services to help.
Project HOPE has partnered with Indian Health Services to provide support to Navajo Nation as they face a surge in COVID-19 cases.
We are looking for nurses, physicians, behavioral health professionals, social workers, public health professionals, health techs, EMTs, lab techs, nursing students and non-clinical volunteers to assist in all aspects of care and operations.
Click here if you are interested in a volunteer deployment with Project HOPE.
More than 30,000 people in Navajo Nation have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began, a disproportional burden that has led to more than 1,200 deaths. Overall, more than 1 in 10 people in Navajo Nation have contracted the virus.
Indigenous groups, including American Indian populations, are one of the most vulnerable populations affected by COVID-19. Only 30-40% of Navajo on the reservation have running water and electricity, making it extremely difficult to follow health recommendations like washing your hands. Multigenerational households have made it difficult to safely social distance, leading to increased infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Native Americans are 3.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19 than non-Hispanic white groups.
Project HOPE, in partnership with Indian Health Services, has been supporting Navajo Nation throughout the pandemic with personal protective equipment and ongoing medical volunteers to provide surge support in the reservation’s hospitals. To date, Project HOPE volunteers have contributed more than 191 days’ worth of time helping support health care workers in Navajo Nation. Today, our volunteers are helping administer COVID-19 vaccines that have helped bring the virus under control.
Volunteer Voices: Stories From Navajo Nation
All year, we’ve been collecting stories from Project HOPE volunteers deployed to treat COVID-19 across the U.S. Read their stories to learn more about what it’s like for those facing the virus inside Navajo Nation.
Quality Care Must Include Cultural Understanding
As we build a future beyond COVID-19, what lessons can we learn from the Navajo? Read the latest dispatch from a Project HOPE volunteer deployed to Chinle, Arizona.
Have You Met COVID-19? You Don’t Want To.
What is it like on the front lines of a devastating virus? Read the latest dispatch from a Project HOPE volunteer nurse deployed to Navajo Nation in Shiprock, New Mexico.
The Unsung Heroes of the Pandemic
The fight against COVID-19 is filled with heroes. But some workers on the front lines don’t always get the credit they deserve. Read the latest dispatch from a Project HOPE volunteer nurse deployed to Navajo Nation in Shiprock, New Mexico.
How you can help
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Are you a health-care or other professional who would like to learn more about volunteering abroad with Project HOPE? Learn more about our volunteer program and join our volunteer roster.
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