Self-determination a route to better health, ITK report says

“Culture and language are seen together as crucial and inter-connected determinants of health,” says Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami’s report on the social determinants of Inuit health in Canada.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami released its report on the social determinants of Inuit health in Canada on Nov. 19.

Even though the health of Inuit in northern Canada remains far worse than most Canadians, communities are showing signs of progress, thanks to Inuit asserting more control over their land and their government, according to a recent report from Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

The report, released Nov. 19, concludes that “increasing levels of self-determination” will help overcome the “disproportionate health challenges” Inuit face compared to non-Inuit Canadians.

“By increasing levels of self-determination in their regions, Inuit will be able to restructure and enhance their socio-economic sectors, integrating Inuit culture, language, and knowledge in a way that is conducive to Inuit pride, dignity, harmony and health,” the report states.

While wielding more control over their lives may improve their long-term health, right now Inuit still smoke more tobacco than the average Canadian, die at a younger age, commit suicide at a higher rate, drink more alcohol when pregnant, fail to survive infancy in higher numbers, earn lower incomes and live in overcrowded homes.

These and other facts are contained in ITK’s new report, entitled “Social Determinants of Inuit Health in Canada.”

The report’s contents likely come as no surprise to policy makers, politicians, health professionals, teachers, social workers and others living and working in Inuit Nunangat.

Reports on the poor state of Inuit health, and the things that make them sick, regularly make it to the news pages.

In this latest report, ITK says in the news release that it’s hoping it will serve as an Inuit-specific resource to support public health activities and also as a reference guide for governments and organizations working in the health and social services sector.

ITK represents some 60,000 Inuit living in 53 communities in Canada’s four Inuit regions: Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut in Labrador, and the Inuvialuit region of the Northwest Territories.

The organization’s 44-page document and corresponding fact sheet info-graphics confirm that Inuit experience “comparatively lower life expectancies, high rates of infant mortality and the highest suicide rates of any population group in the country,” ITK stated in a news release, delivered from its head office in Ottawa.

These challenges, and poorer health conditions overall, result from specific realities common to communities in all four Inuit regions.

The report refers to these factors as “social determinants,” and it identifies 11 key ones that impact Inuit health. The report suggests governments and Inuit organizations should focus primarily on improving the following:

• quality of early childhood development: infant mortality rates in Inuit regions are nearly three times higher than in the general Canadian population, and rates of illnesses and disease are higher;

• education: levels of schooling in Inuit regions are among the lowest in Canada while drop-out rates are the highest;

• food security: “An alarming percentage of Inuit are food insecure” – meaning they don’t get enough to eat, the report says. Store-bought food is expensive, yet Inuit are increasing reliant on store bought food as they shift away from harvesting country food;

• housing: shortages and poor quality housing contribute to the spread of infectious diseases, social stresses and violence, the report says;

• availability of health services: “Inuit are less likely to have contact with health care professionals” due to the remoteness of their communities, the report says; and

• livelihoods: employment opportunities in Inuit communities are low: many families support themselves partly by harvesting and by producing of arts and crafts. The report points to the continued need for training.

On a brighter note, the report highlights that Canadian Inuit have in the last 10 years “been engaged in significant efforts” to improve socio-economic conditions in their communities.

This is mostly because they have developed “a considerable political voice and organizational capacity, swiftly progressing toward self-determination through the signing of land claim agreements” and the election of Inuit governments, the report says in its conclusion.

ITK also calls on the Canadian government to support Inuit by implementing land claim agreements, involving the people “in policy-making and design, and providing long-term, adequate funding for development.”

Regional Inuit associations are best qualified to identify “the priorities and assets of each community, and to assist communities in developing employment opportunities, health programs, social housing projects, and other social supports that will improve Inuit health,” the report concludes.

The ITK report draws on studies, surveys and data drawn from the four Inuit regions over the past two decades. See the national Inuit organization’s website for a full copy, with fact sheets.