Inuit Tuberculosis Elimination Framework Released
News release
December 10, 2018— Ottawa, ON — Indigenous Services Canada
Today, the Inuit Tuberculosis Elimination Framework was released by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami as a next step in ongoing efforts to address staggeringly high rates of tuberculosis (TB) among Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat. In 2016, the reported rate of active TB among Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat was over 300 times the reported rate of active TB among Canadian-born, non-Indigenous people.
The release of the Framework follows an announcement in late 2017 by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services, to launch an Inuit TB Task Force, and a joint commitment made in March 2018 to eliminate TB among Inuit in Inuit Nunangat by 2030, with an interim reduction in the reported rate of active TB of at least 50% by 2025.
The Framework reflects input and guidance from the Inuit TB Task Force and the Inuit Public Health Task Group (IPHTG). The IPHTG is made up of representatives from the four Inuit regions alongside provincial, territorial and federal governments.
The Framework describes six priority areas for action and investment:
- Enhance TB care and prevention programming
- Reduce poverty, improve social determinants of health and create social equity
- Empower and mobilize communities
- Strengthen TB care and prevention capacity
- Develop and implement Inuit specific solutions
- Ensure accountability for TB elimination
These priority actions will be used by the four Inuit regions to design and implement TB elimination action plans that are customized to reflect each region's priorities, needs and strengths. Using this approach will also ensure the interventions and activities described within each action plan are informed by local TB epidemiology and health systems.
The regional TB elimination action plans are expected to be released by March 2019.
"Today marks an essential step forward towards eliminating tuberculosis (TB) among Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat. The release of the Framework underscores the ongoing commitment led by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, alongside the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments, to prevent and treat tuberculosis in a culturally appropriate way. We fully support this Inuit-led and Inuit-driven approach to address the social determinants of health that drive this epidemic and, ensure that the disproportionately high rates of TB affecting Inuit are fully addressed once and for all."
The Honourable Jane Philpott, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Indigenous Services
"Eliminating TB among Inuit in Inuit Nunangat by 2030 is an ambitious goal that will require deep commitment and ongoing, multilateral efforts. This Framework serves to clear the path and guide the work across governments, Inuit regions and organizations, communities and healthcare professionals."
Natan Obed
President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
