About GLITEC

The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Epidemiology Center (GLITEC) is a program of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, Inc.

Since 1996, GLITEC has served the 34 federally recognized Tribes, four urban Indian communities, and three Indian Health Service (IHS) service units within the Bemidji IHS Area (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Chicago).

GLITEC staff supports American Indian/Alaska Native communities in their efforts to improve the health of their people by:

• partnering directly with communities
• producing publicly available resources
• educating on local, state, and national levels to improve data quality.

Our Mission

The mission of GLITEC is to support Tribal communities in their efforts to improve health by assisting with data needs through partnership development, community-based research, education, and technical assistance.

Our Principles of Operation

• Respect for Tribal authority and direction in service requests
• Data confidentiality, protection, and security
• Tribal ownership of data
• Establishing transparent, trusting relationships
• Inclusion and representation

Learn More

View the GLITEC overview factsheet for more information on GLITEC, Tribal Epidemiology Centers, and American Indian/Alaska Native health data and communities.

What Is Epidemiology?

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health (who gets sick or stays well, and why). This information is needed for planning effective responses to health problems.

Epidemiologists help answer questions such as:

• What are the major risk factors for diseases such as diabetes and heart disease?
• Are rates of obesity going up or down in a particular community?
• What social factors contribute to health problems in a community?
• Does the smoking cessation program really help smokers quit?
• What is the source of an infectious disease outbreak and is it spreading?
• Does access to safe drinking water differ for certain communities?

Why Is Epidemiology Important?

Epidemiology is a vital public health tool. Through epidemiology, we know that American Indian/Alaska Native people in the Bemidji Area experience higher rates of diabetes and other diseases compared to other groups (health disparity), as well as higher rates of social and environmental risk factors related to poor health and mortality.

To address these health concerns, better data helps Tribal, state, and federal decision-makers understand which initiatives have been effective, how to best allocate resources, and when and where changes are needed.

Data about the health of American Indians/Alaska Natives are more difficult to access and less complete than for other groups in the United States. GLITEC is working to improve health data in the Bemidji IHS Area.