The future of Indigenous Health in Canada
Image Credit: Canadian Institute of Health Research
There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the much needed improvement to indigenous health care in Canada. This specific population is often underserviced, underfunded and at times forgotten about when it comes to healthcare. Having to travel by plane to get to the closest hospital to see a specialist, to have dialysis or even at times to obtain a simple X-ray are just a few examples of the hurdles this population faces. I will admit that had I not discovered northern nursing and spent over eight years working in these remote communities I too would be ignorant to many of these concerns. One thing which I notices during my time working in the north is that for programs to take hold and work in the communities there needs to be engagement and involvement by the people in the indigenous community.
Government Actions
So what is our government doing to improve the health and build a better future for the healthcare of Canadas indigenous population? In 2001 the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aboriginal Peoples Health began developing a strategy to look at how to advance healthcare for this population. This group, formed of indigenous community members as well as general research community members goal is to improve the health of Canadian and subsequently global indigenous populations. They found that on average indigenous populations had more cases of chronic disease, smoking and substance abuse as shown below in Image 1.
Image 1.
Image Credit: Canadian Institute of Health Research
Moving forward to the past five years there have been multiple updates annually with regards to the research completed, and the lobbying of government for funding. Some of the initiatives and plans that have arisen are the commitment to increase the capacity to interact with indigenous communities in a culturally appropriate way as well as to commit to increase investments to indigenous health research projects. Due to the Canadian Institute of Health Researches consistent demand for recognition for this population the government has committed to $101 million over the next 16 years to indigenous health research in 2019. The government provided a statement reporting that improving the health of the indigenous population is now a priority. This is a huge increase in funding given that in 2017 the government only committed to $8 million over five years.
This money is provided to the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR). This group will focus on the development of nine centers across the country focused specifically on capacity building, research and knowledge translation which is centered in indigenous populations.
Hope for the Future
Image 2: NEIHR Logo
Through this funding Canadian universities have developed research centers. As an example Simon Fraser University in British Columbia now has a fully funded Masters program dedicated to indigenous health. Many other universities also have NEIHR provincial research centers. University of Saskatchewan as well as McGill, University of Toronto, and the university of Calgary have all received funds to further the research. Knowing all these major universities putting this money to good work is fantastic. However, for myself, knowing that Lakehead University in Thunderbay Ontario also has a dedicated NEIHR research centre and grant funding just feels right. This university is located in one of Canadas largest northern cities where there has always been a prominent indigenous population. Many of the people that I cared for would choose this university as they could get direct flights back to their communities from the local airport. This is also the city where many persons from northern Ontario go to obtain medical care and treatments. It is important that not only the largest universitys have these programs but that the schools which reach and serve the indigenous community directly also have access. My hope is that these programs will continue to grow to engage the communities in ways that allow our indigenous population to feel included in the decisions that affect their well being.
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