NTI: Hope, Optimism and a plan for a TB-free Nunavut
(March 24, 2019 – Iqaluit, Nunavut)
March 24th is World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.
“This World TB Day is a time of hope and optimism for a TB-free Nunavut – for ourselves, for our children and for generations to come,” said Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) President Aluki Kotierk. “I take this opportunity to reassure Nunavut Inuit that we now have tools for TB diagnosis and treatment that happens in our communities. Let us eliminate TB together! I encourage Nunavummiut to get tested for this treatable infection.”
NTI commits to advancing our work on addressing food insecurity through reclaiming food sovereignty, housing and poverty reduction; all of which have been identified as areas that contribute to these high rates of TB. We will continue to work collaboratively with our partners to strengthen our social determinants of health as Inuit.
Last year on World TB Day, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Federal Government jointly announced a commitment to cut the incidence of Inuit with TB across Inuit Nunangat in half by 2025, and to eliminate TB by 2030. Budget 2018 followed with $27.5 million to begin Inuit TB elimination efforts. ITK released the Inuit TB Elimination Framework in December 2018 which will include a Nunavut specific action plan in the coming months, developed by NTI and the Government of Nunavut collaboratively.
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