AHHI Research Activities

Research Networks will enhance:

Surveillance of health issues of concern to Arctic peoples
Monitoring with standardized protocols
Research collaboration to advance Arctic health

Research Activities will look at the human health impacts of:

Infectious and chronic diseases
Behavioral health issues
Arctic climate and environmental variability

Health Communication will:

Focus public and political attention on Arctic health issues
Strengthen communications between communities
Increase distribution of education materials to the public through workshops and a variety of print media

AHHI Scientific Plan

An Arctic Council Initiative, the Arctic Human Health Initiative (HI) will establish research programs in human health issues of greatest concern to Arctic residents. Outcomes from these studies will lead to an understanding of:

the impact of anthropogenic pollution on human health
the ecology and genetics of infectious diseases
the impact of zoonotic diseases on subsistence species
the effect of climate variability on human health
possible causes of behavioral health problems such as suicide, substance abuse, and injury
chronic diseases and their interventions
assessment of risk due to contaminants in the traditional food supply

This initiative will result in a significant increase in the sharing of research findings within the research community and improve information exchange between the research community and communities at risk. Communication avenues will include professional journal articles, lay press and web-based publications, symposia, workshops, and community town hall meetings. Proceedings and reports will be published in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health.