Tuberculosis case numbers continue to rise in Nunavik
Last year’s record already beaten; mass screenings starting
Inuit living in Nunavik face tuberculosis rates 1,000 times greater than those of non-Inuit in the province, according to the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services. So far this year, the region has reported 103 cases of TB. (File photo)
Nunavik reported 103 cases of tuberculosis as of Nov. 21, surpassing last year’s record-breaking total of 94 cases.
Seven communities are currently experiencing outbreaks, said Jessika Huard, tuberculosis nurse clinical assistant for the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services.
The health board does not identify affected communities, citing privacy concerns.
The health board is working to slow the spread of TB, Huard said in an email, but she warned not to expect results right away. She pointed to challenges such as how quickly the disease spreads, making fast intervention with the appropriate resources difficult.
Community screenings are taking place, which can also affect case numbers.
The Innuulitsivik Health Centre, which provides services to Nunavik residents on the Hudson Bay coast, launched a mass screening for tuberculosis to curb the spread of the disease, said Felicia Potvin, the centre’s communications adviser.
Mobile clinics have been active in Inukjuak from Nov. 3 to Nov. 28. Screening clinics are set up in schools and workplaces.
Throughout the month, the centre organized door-to-door information sessions about tuberculosis while extending clinic hours for TB testing.
The mass screening in Inukjuak will serve as a model of future initiatives in other communities, Potvin said.
“We are confident that this effort sets a positive example and helps strengthen our shared commitment to build healthier and more resilient communities across Nunavik,” she said in an email Friday.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that commonly affects the lungs but can spread to other parts of the body. It’s treatable with medication but can be deadly without intervention.
The next screening campaign will take place in Salluit in January. No exact dates have yet been announced.
OVER CROWDING !!!
it could be overcrowding. yes. But my opinion is the young teenagers, young adults and older adults who are visiting family and friends to party (alcohol and marijuana) are 9, 100 or more people including babies and young children. Since the legalization of marijuana in canada many more people are smoking a lot of drugs in a household where they also smoke cigarettes. Inuit believe that its okay to be in a large group and still passing the tb around like a marijuana joint.
its not just over crowding. its also Nicotine usage every 15 minutes and weed.
Is that not the desease the rest of canada eradicated a long time ago. I know it’s because of the large families contained in each house hold just like like some researves south that also dont have any t.b