Minnie Grey, Chair of the Circumpolar Inuit Health Steering Committee, giving an interview during the first ICC Health Summit in 2009.

From an Inuit perspective, health and wellness is viewed in a holistic way such that physical and mental health cannot be addressed separately and are intricately tied to the health of our communities and the health of the land. Inuit-led solutions to health challenges build upon the rich and diverse knowledge and strengths found within our communities.

Across Inuit Nunaat, many Inuit face significant health disparities. Life expectancy, infant mortality, rates of infectious disease and suicide are major concerns. The appropriate physical and mental health services, including necessary clinical, financial, and human resources are inadequate or non-existent in Inuit Nunaat.

In particular, the ongoing mental health crisis facing many Inuit today is unacceptable by any world standard. The elevated rate of suicide among Inuit is an urgent challenge. A combination of community and evidence-based, globally-informed, and culturally-specific suicide prevention strategies and initiatives must be further developed and implemented throughout Inuit Nunaat to address risk factors, promote protective factors, and reduce suicide. In particular, children and youth with mental health issues require our special support and help as acknowledged by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Articles 19 and 39.

At ICC (Canada) we are advocating on these issues on behalf of Inuit. This section of the website provides information on the structures we use to address Inuit health issues, such as our Circumpolar Inuit Health Steering Committee, specific projects such as CREATeS, the 2020 Inuit Health Summit, and an archive containing documents from years gone by.