Indigenous populations health protection: a Canadian perspective

Abstract

The disproportionate effects of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic on many Canadian Aboriginal communities have drawn attention to the vulnerability of these communities in terms of health outcomes in the face of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases. Exploring the particular challenges facing these communities is essential to improving public health planning. In alignment with the objectives of the Pandemic Influenza Outbreak Research Modelling (Pan-InfORM) team, a Canadian public health workshop was held at the Centre for Disease Modelling (CDM) to: (i) evaluate post-pandemic research findings; (ii) identify existing gaps in knowledge that have yet to be addressed through ongoing research and collaborative activities; and (iii) build upon existing partnerships within the research community to forge new collaborative links with Aboriginal health organizations. The workshop achieved its objectives in identifying main research findings and emerging information post pandemic, and highlighting key challenges that pose significant impediments to the health protection and promotion of Canadian Aboriginal populations. The health challenges faced by Canadian indigenous populations are unique and complex, and can only be addressed through active engagement with affected communities. The academic research community will need to develop a new interdisciplinary framework, building upon concepts from 'Communities of Practice', to ensure that the research priorities are identified and targeted, and the outcomes are translated into the context of community health to improve policy and practice.

Figure 1

(a) Relative infection ratios; and (b) relative hospitalization ratios for First Nations (FN) and non-First Nations (non-FN) age groups: Manitoba, Canada; Spring wave of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. For Relative infection (hospitalization) ratios, bar plots and 95% confidence intervals correspond to the age-standardized ratio of the proportion of infectious (hospitalized) cases in a given age group to the proportion of the population in the same age group [7]. A relative ratio higher than 1 indicates that the corresponding age group experienced a higher incidence of infection or hospitalization than the population as a whole.