Focus on the health of indigenous peoples - Close Nordic-Canadian co-operation
The Nordic Council of Ministers is organising a meeting in Copenhagen on 24-26 March to focus on the social and health problems of indigenous peoples. The meeting brings together Health Canada (Canadian Ministry of Health) and representatives from organisations in the Nordic countries and the adjacent areas, for example, the Sami people in Northwest Russia. This event is being organised by the Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being (NDPHS), together with the WHO.
Mental illness and other health problems among indigenous peoples must now be given extra attention. The idea is to develop co-operation between the Nordic countries and Canada and create a platform for further work. The goal is to improve conditions for vulnerable groups of indigenous peoples in the areas of social welfare and health. The goal is, amongst other things, to speed up concrete initiatives by taking advantage of the countries' experiences.
The Nordic Council of Ministers is a key player in this work because of the Nordic Sami who live in several Nordic countries and the Greenland people. Health Canada invited NDPHS to discuss the health of the indigenous peoples back in 2008. The participants at the meeting agreed that the common problems of the Inuits, "First Nation People", Sami and Greenlanders needs to be given extra attention and that innovative and effective measures, together with exchange of experience, are needed. The meeting, which brought together representatives from various indigenous organizations, concluded that the groups are struggling with several key problems which are similar in many respects. A group of experts, with representatives from Canada and the Nordic Council of Ministers, was established in 2009 with Canada as the lead country. The group, called the Indigenous, Mental Health, Addictions and Parenting (IMHAP), is a sub-group of the NDPHS’s expert group, Social Inclusion, Healthy Lifestyles and Work Ability (SIHLWA).
The meeting in Copenhagen will take place from 24 - 26 March with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Nordic Council of Ministers. On 25 March, the Nordic Council of Ministers will host a discussion by a group of experts on the health of the indigenous people.
Further information
Maria-Pia de Palo, Nordic Council of Ministers, e-mail: mpp@norden.org, tel. +45 33 96 02 77
Further information about NDPHS
