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International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

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340<br />

IPY 20 07–20 08<br />

Canadian training, communications and outreach projects<br />

The Inuit Cohort: A Community of Research Practice Across Canada www.ciet.org/en/documents/projects_<br />

cycles/2007102165919.asp<br />

Canada NI<br />

Healthy Foods North NWT www.hlthss.gov.nt.ca/sites/healthy_foods_north/default.htm Canada NI<br />

Pan-Arctic Interactive Communications Health Project www.naho.ca/inuit/wellnessTV/index.php Canada NI<br />

Research Infrastructure and the<br />

Expansion of Networks<br />

While various networks exist to coordinate<br />

circumpolar health researchers, how circumpolar<br />

health research is organized varies from country<br />

to country. Some countries have established polar<br />

institutes and support special polar research programs<br />

focused on population health, whereas other regions<br />

do not have a central health program and health<br />

researchers have to compete with other specialists for<br />

program funds (Hanne, 2009). Over the IPY years, as a<br />

result of increases in research activities, both networks<br />

supporting individual researchers and infrastructure<br />

to support circumpolar research programs have been<br />

enhanced and developed.<br />

During the preparation and implementation of<br />

IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong>, circumpolar countries have made<br />

substantial progress in expanding health research<br />

institutes. In Greenland, the Greenland Institute for<br />

Circumpolar Health Research was established in Nuuk<br />

in 2008. In Canada, the Institute for Circumpolar Health<br />

Research in Yellowknife, NWT and the Arctic Health<br />

Research Network – Yukon and Qaujigiartiit/ Arctic<br />

Health Research Network NU, in Iqaluit, Nunavut were<br />

established. Health research capacity was also built at<br />

the Labrador Institute via infrastructure enhancements<br />

and the establishment of a faculty position in<br />

community health and humanities in partnership<br />

with the Memorial University in Newfoundland and<br />

Labrador.<br />

The Centre for Arctic Medicine’s Thule Institute,<br />

University of Oulu, Finland (http://arctichealth.oulu.<br />

fi) has a developed research program related to<br />

Circumpolar Health and Wellbeing. Activities are<br />

focused on environmental health and adaptation;<br />

population health and health care; societal and<br />

individual wellbeing, and cultural aspects of health<br />

and wellbeing. Research projects are supported by<br />

the Finnish Academy and the European Union.<br />

In the U.S.A., circumpolar health research infra-<br />

structure has been expanded at the University of Alaska,<br />

Anchorage through development and support of a<br />

new graduate program in public health (MPH) focused<br />

on northern and circumpolar health issues (http://<br />

health.uaa.alaska.edu/mph/index.htm) and in the reorganization<br />

of Alaska’s existing Institute for Circumpolar<br />

Health Studies (www.ichs.uaa.alaska.edu).<br />

The establishment and development of institutes<br />

can be facilitated by northern-based leadership, a<br />

vision for health research and the engagement of key<br />

partners and stakeholders (Chatwood and Young,<br />

2010). Proximity of these institutes to the peoples<br />

and governments allow for efficiencies in public<br />

health research including access to policy-makers,<br />

partnerships with community-based organizations<br />

and opportunities to design research projects of<br />

relevance to their regions while considering the<br />

circumpolar context.<br />

Connecting people in circumpolar<br />

regions<br />

During IPY <strong>2007–2008</strong>, the core participants were<br />

self-organizing groups of researchers, their parent<br />

organizations, existing bodies with a role in polar<br />

regions research and monitoring, and consortia of<br />

such bodies. Increased activities created synergies<br />

and the development of new networks.<br />

The <strong>International</strong> Union for Circumpolar Health<br />

(www.iuch.net) has served as an ongoing network<br />

where the numerous circumpolar societies can<br />

meet and work on initiatives that support research<br />

development, networking and dissemination of health<br />

information. To this end the main activity of the IUCH<br />

has been the <strong>International</strong> Congress on Circumpolar<br />

Health, which is held in circumpolar regions every<br />

three years (see below). The IUCH also has working<br />

groups which provide a mechanism for networking in<br />

specific thematic areas.<br />

IPY saw the establishment of the <strong>International</strong> Net-

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