A New Approach to Health Research in Canada’s North

Over the past four years, despite low resource allocations to the North, northern residents and community organizations have taken significant initiatives towards the development of health research. In this commentary, we present a model for the development of northern health research based on our e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Public Health
Main Authors: Chatwood, Susan, Young, Kue
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Springer International Publishing 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6973593/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20364533
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03405556
Description
Summary:Over the past four years, despite low resource allocations to the North, northern residents and community organizations have taken significant initiatives towards the development of health research. In this commentary, we present a model for the development of northern health research based on our experiences in establishing the Institute for Circumpolar Health Research (ICHR) in the Northwest Territories. It is hoped that the lessons we have learned will inform decision-makers and encourage them to make strategic investments to support further health research capacity and institutional development within the North. Factors that have enabled the development of a health research institute in the North include leadership, a vision for health research, and the engagement of key partners and stakeholders. Challenges arise in the development of appropriate governance and policy for health research. There is an urgency to target resources to support the development of policies and governance for health research in northern jurisdictions. Both academic and community-based research need to be strengthened.