A - C
AHHI
Short Title: AHHI Project URL: http://www.arctichealth.org/ahhi/ Proposal URL: http://classic.ipy.org/development/eoi/proposal-details.php?id=167 The Arctic Human Health Initiative (AHHI) is an IPY (2007-2008) Arctic Council project that aims to increase the visibility and awareness of health concerns of Arctic peoples, to foster human health research, and promote health protection strategies that will improve the health and well-being of all Arctic Residents. The AHHI core project will seek to advance the joint circumpolar human health research agendas of the Arctic Council (AC; www.arcticcouncil.org ), an eight nation intergovernmental forum for sustainable development and environmental protection, and the working groups of the International Union for Circumpolar Health (IUCH). Current AC human health activities include monitoring the human health impact of anthropogenic pollutants, climate variability, infectious diseases, and the expansion and assessment of tele-health innovations in Arctic regions. The IUCH (www.iuch.org ) promotes international cooperation, research, scientific information exchange and education in the areas of Arctic Health Policy, Birth Defects & Genetics, Cancer, Diet & Heart, Environmental Health & Subsistence Food Security, Family Health, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Health Surveys, HIV/AIDS, STDs, Indigenous Peoples Health, Infectious Diseases, Injury Prevention, Occupational Safety & Health, Population-Based Planning, Tobacco & Health, and Women's Health. An anticipated outcome of the AHHI will be the development of an organizational infrastructure for the coordination of human health research activities in Arctic regions. A key element of the AHHI will be the development of new, and expansion of existing human health surveillance, monitoring and research networks. These circumpolar networks will allow the monitoring of diseases of concern in Arctic communities through the development of standardized study protocols, data collection, laboratory methods, and data analysis. Once established these networks will allow the monitoring of disease prevalence over time, the determination of risk factors for disease and evaluation and implementation of disease prevention and control strategies. Networks also provide opportunities for the development of sustainable partnerships between communities and researcher through the establishment of community-based monitoring activities. A focus of the AHHI is the establishment of research activities focusing on human health issues of concern to Arctic residents. Priority areas include the human health impact of: -Regional and inter-continentally transported anthropogenic pollution in Arctic regions. -Oil, gas and other sustainable development activities. -Contaminants and zoonotic infectious diseases on the traditional food supply. -Climate variability on human health and traditional food supply. -Infectious diseases including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, vaccine preventable diseases, emerging infectious diseases such as SARS. -The effects of the changing Arctic environment on the evolution, ecology, and emergence of zoonotic disease, particularly avian influenza. -Chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes. -Behavioural health issues, such as suicide, interpersonal violence and substance abuse, and unintentional injuries. Research activities will include the use of culturally sensitive health interview surveys which are a useful tool for characterizing health and risky behaviours, the health status of populations, and the development of culturally appropriate interventions. In the area of health communication several symposia and topic specific work shops are planned before during and following IPY which will allow the, development of new collaborations, evaluation of advances made in the health of Arctic peoples, the health disparities that remain, and to examine future risks to the health and well-being of all Arctic residents. Details regarding AHHI specific projects, plans and progress can be found at: www.arctichealth.org