March 24, 2010 - World TB Day

We learned last week that the tuberculosis rate among Inuit has doubled in four years – to 185 times the rate of Canadian-born non-aboriginals – at a time when the national rate is declining. Today, on World TB Day we hope that startling statistic has not become yesterday’s news.

Canada has firm goals to reduce TB among the general population and First Nations on reserve. There is a robust strategy targeting new immigrants, drafted in concert with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

All evidence shows that this approach is succeeding.

Yet, there is no national TB strategy for Inuit, one that is created with Inuit and embraces solutions that are culturally acceptable and based on our realities. With a population scattered across two territories and two provinces, a national approach is essential to making real progress.

TB will never be eliminated until housing is improved, food security is improved and the access to health care for Inuit approaches what other Canadians take for granted. The fact remains: Canada will not be healthy until the Inuit of Canada are healthy.