Today, the Inuit Tuberculosis Elimination Framework was released by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami as a next step in ongoing efforts to address staggeringly high rates of tuberculosis (TB) among Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat.
The release of the Framework follows an announcement in late 2017 by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services, to launch an Inuit TB Task Force,and a joint commitment made in March 2018 to eliminate TB among Inuit in Inuit Nunangat by 2030, with an interim reduction in the reported rate of active TB of at least 50% by 2025.
The Framework reflects input and guidance from the Inuit TB Task Force and the Inuit Public Health Task Group (IPHTG). The IPHTG is made up of representatives from the four Inuit regions alongside provincial, territorial and federal governments.
The Framework describes six priority areas for action and investment:
- Enhance TB care and prevention programming
- Reduce poverty, improve social determinants of health and create social equity
- Empower and mobilize communities
- Strengthen TB care and prevention capacity
- Develop and implement Inuit specific solutions
- Ensure accountability for TB elimination
These priority actions will be used by the four Inuit regions to design and implement TB elimination action plans that are customized to reflect each region’s priorities, needs and strengths. Using this approach will also ensure the interventions and activities described within each action plan are informed by local TB epidemiology and health systems.
The regional TB elimination action plans are expected to be released by March 2019.