The International Union for Circumpolar Health

1
The International Unionfor Circumpolar Health

• Pamela Orr
• President
• March 27, 2009
• www.iuch.net
• www.csch.ca
• www.icch2009.com

2
(No Transcript)
3
IUCH Objectives

• Promote international cooperation in circumpolar
  health
• Encourage and support research and exchange of
  scientific information in the circumpolar health
  sciences
• Promote public awareness of circumpolar health
• Provide a means of communication with other
  scientific organizations
• Promote and encourage the participation of
  indigenous peoples in circumpolar health affairs

4
Adhering Bodies

• Canadian Society for Circumpolar Health (CSCH)
• Danish/Greenlandic Society for Circumpolar Health
  (DGSCH)
• Nordic Society for Arctic Medicine (NSAM)
• Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical
  Sciences (SB-RAMS)
• American Society for Circumpolar Health (ASCH)

5
Affiliated Members

• International Network for Circumpolar Health
  Research (INCHR)
• Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research
  (SCAR)
• Finnish Society of Arctic Medicine and Biology
  (ATBY)
• Icelandic Society for Arctic Medicine
• Swedish Society for Arctic Medicine
• Standing invitation to WHO as an official observer

6
Congresses

• Fairbanks, Alaska 1967
• Oulu, Finland 1971
• Yellowknife, Canada 1974
• Novosibirsk, Siberia 1978
• Copenhagen, Denmark 1981
• Anchorage, Alaska 1984
• Ulmea, Sweden 1987
• Whitehorse, Canada 1990
• Reykjavik, Iceland 1993
• Anchorage, Alaska 1996
• Harstad, Norway 2000
• Nuuk, Greenland 2003
• Novosibirsk, Russia 2006
• Next congress Yellowknife, NWT Canada
• July 11-16, 2009
• Securing the IPY Legacy
• From Research to Action

7
Publications

• International Association of Circumpolar Health
  Publishers
• International Journal of Circumpolar Health
  (www.ijch.fi)
• Circumpolar Health Special Issues and
  Supplements
• Members IUCH
• NSAM
• University of Alaska
• University of Manitoba
• University of Oulu
• University of Tromso
• INCHR

8
Affiliations

• Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working
  Group (SDWG)
• www.arctic-council.org
• http//portal.sdwg.org
• Health Projects
• Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic
  (SLICA) www.arcticlivingconditions.org
• Telemedicine Conference, Anchorage 2004
• International Circumpolar Surveillance
  www.cdc.gov/ncidod/aip
• Arctic Children and Youth Health Indicators
  www.iuch.arctichealth-nt.ca
• Other issues Climate change, economic
  development, social and cultural development (eg.
  language workshop)

9
WORKING GROUPS

• Biomedical/Clinical
• Birth Defects
• Cancer
• Diet and Heart Health
• Infectious Diseases
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• STIs, HIV
• Maternal Child Health

10
WORKING GROUPS

• Health Services and Systems
• Arctic Health Policy
• Health Surveys
• Injury Prevention
• Occupational Safety and Health
• Population Health

11
WORKING GROUPS

• Social, Cultural and Environmental Health
• Environmental Health
• Family Health
• Indigenous Peoples
• Tobacco and Health

12
Questions

• Beyond arranging the congresses, where should we
  put our effort?
• Research
• Advocacy
• Education, Knowledge dissemination
• Consultancy
• Should the current system of adhering bodies and
  membership continue?

13
Priorities

• Mental and Social Health interventions,
  behavioural modification, self-efficacy
• Security shelter, food, water, sewage,
  employment, crime
• Basic Primary Care and Prevention CHWs, locus
  of care, midwifery, vaccines, empowering
  education
• Information Collection, Analysis Sharing what?
  where? why? how? Nourish questions and answers
• Human Resources need to engage