ITK and CIHR leadership renew commitment to improving health outcomes in Inuit communities
March 24, 2022, Ottawa, ON — Today, on World Tuberculosis Day 2022, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) President Natan Obed and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) President Dr. Michael J. Strong publicly renew their commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Inuit, including addressing TB research needs in Inuit Nunangat.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, ITK and CIHR have been strengthening their partnership in Inuit health research and laying the groundwork to support Inuit research priorities, including TB elimination research. The two organizations have co-developed an ITK-CIHR Work Plan (2021-2025) committing, over the next five years, to address mutual areas of interest and priorities for collaboration in support of the implementation of the National Inuit Strategy on Research (NISR). Strong partnerships are especially important now as we learn to navigate a new healthcare environment created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In support of TB elimination across Inuit Nunangat, President Obed and President Strong co-led the Roundtable on Research to support TB Elimination across Inuit Nunangat in February 2020. This event brought together incredible minds to support Inuit-governed research towards TB elimination in Inuit Nunangat. While the pandemic delayed work on the outputs of the February 2020 Roundtable, research supporting TB elimination across Inuit Nunangat remains a priority for both ITK and CIHR.
ITK is the national representational organization for 65,000 Inuit in Canada. CIHR, comprising 13 research institutes, is Canada’s federal funding agency for health research.
Together, we are committed to working towards improving health outcomes and building a healthier future for Inuit communities.
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