Aurora College has been selected among five other organizations in the country to lead research and raise awareness about climate change and its impacts on health.
The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Infectious Disease and Climate Change is planning to fund the five community-driven initiatives that combine Indigenous knowledges and other scientific forms.
The projects are geared towards building surveillance capacity and helping communities to monitor, prevent and respond to climate-sensitive infectious disease risks.
In an announcement issued by Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister and MP Rebecca Alty, the federal government announced $3.3 million over three years for five projects in collaboration with First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities.
Minister Alty said Indigenous knowledges are critical to respond to climate change and its impacts including infectious diseases.
“First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities have long understood the deep connections between the environment and human health. As climate change accelerates the spread of infectious diseases, it is essential to support Indigenous-led approaches grounded in this knowledge. Through these investments, our government is empowering communities to strengthen surveillance, protect their health, and respond to emerging risks in culturally appropriate and sustainable ways.”
Health Minister Marjorie Michel said that the initiative is also focussed on long term local capacity building.
“By supporting locally led projects, we are improving access to tools, knowledge and surveillance that communities need to detect risks earlier and respond more effectively. This funding is about building long‑term capacity so First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners can lead the way in safeguarding community health now and into the future.”
The initiatives selected for funding are aimed at helping communities “prepare for and respond to” what the government acknowledges are “growing” health impacts of climate change on the spread of infectious diseases.
“Changes in the environment are leading to the establishment of infectious diseases, such as tick- and mosquito-borne diseases, in new regions of Canada, impacting the health and well-being of people across the country.”
In the message, the feds also acknowledged that these impacts are often disproportionately impacting Indigenous communities and compounded by public health challenges and “widening” health inequities.
Among Aurora College other funding recipients included the Canadian Pharmacists Association in collaboration with Indigenous Pharmacy Professionals of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross in collaboration with the Nunatsiavut Government, Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay and Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak.
North Now has reached out to Aurora College for more information and will share those details when they become available.
