Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Inuit Health in Transition: A study of the impact of changing environments society and climate on health and disease among the Inuit and Yupik of the circumpolar North  (Inuit Health in Transition)

Outline
A baseline survey will be carried out among people aged 18 and above with Inuit/Yupik ancestry from across Greenland, Alaska, Canadian North and Chukotka. It is the aim to recruit 12,000 participants. During the same 3-4 hour visit, participants will be interviewed, go through paraclinical examinations and have a blood sample drawn. The study will have its emphasis on diet and physical activity but other lifestyle factors that are known to have an effect on chronic disease, such as smoking, contaminants, and social and cultural factors will also be included. This will give a cross-sectional description of the associations between the environment, living conditions, life style, risk factors and existing disease. The cross sectional baseline survey will provide us with a solid hint about the positive and negative effects of the current diet, and a follow-up after ten years will be able to pinpoint causal effects. Data collection started in Nunavik in 2004 and will start in Greenland in 2005. The data collection period will, however, reach well into the IPY. The Inuit and Yupik live scattered over a vast area often with difficult access to the villages. For many of the smaller communities especially in Greenland and Canada the most cost-effective strategy is a ship. We will use the CCGS Amundsen through the Canadian research program ArcticNet (www.arcticnet .ulaval.ca), a research ice-breaker with all the necessary laboratory and examination facilities and we will tour the coast of West Greenland and the Eastern Canadian Arctic in Fall 2006 then in the Beaufort Sea in 2008 (Alaska, Inuvik region and Chukotka in Russia). The possibilities for inviting media persons and artists to join the expedition will be considered in order to facilitate cultural exchange between the communities and countries visited.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
We will investigate the impacts on health of global changes in the Arctic (societal, environmental and climate). We will follow a cohort of 12,000 Inuit participants and first assess their health and risk factors status (including environmental contaminants). We then will follow the changes in their health over time and the influence of dietary, environmental etc. changes in the emergence of new diseases. The knowledge on the importance of contaminants and nutritional factors in chronic diseases emergence is crucial for the entire humanity. The human dimension is very important since we will investigate the role of socio cultural factors as health determinants.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Our team is international with health researchers from Denmark/Greenland, Canada, Alaska/USA and Russia. We work with these colleagues through AMAP programs and other research activities (ArcticNet). We are supported by ICC and other aboriginal national organizations (ITK).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Locations in Greenland, Canadian Arctic, Alaska and Chukotka inhabited by the Inuit and Yupik

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 08/04-10/09            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
We will have 60 % of ship time provided by ArcticNet and are requiring the other 40%. We plan to use 80% of the 45 scientific berths. We will also embark our mobile laboratory Atlantis (www.atlantis.ulaval.ca) that will also be available for other researchers.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
YES - Yes since we want to transfer easy to use techniques developed for our mobile laboratory (Atlantis) to assess environmental and health parameters (drinking water, contaminants etc). We plan to train and equip several communities.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?

The logistic (Ice breaker) will be partially supported by the ArcticNet network and the Canadian Coast Guard. The Atlantis laboratory is owned by Laval University.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
YES - Our project is supported internationally by AMAP, IUCH, ICC (Raipon, ICC-Greenland, ICC-Canada) and ITK in Canada. It is also supported by the Greenland Government, CIHR (Canada) and will be proposed to NIH

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
YES
This project was designed 3 years ago as a coexistence of 4 national studies. Now we propose to merge all these component in one large international program using innovative infrastructures (mobile lab and icebreaker) with exchange of inuit students and many capacity building activities.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Each national study will basically manage its own data collection, but the use of the ice breaker will be co-ordinated by Arctic Net. The overall scientific management is secured by a team of 1-2 senior researchers from each country.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Based on our pilot study (Fall 2004) and with the help of our Nasivvik center which has the responsibility to train inuit students as well as the collaboration of ICC and ITK, we plan the following activities:1) Science camp on the ice breaker for Inuit students from all 4 countries. Training on the Atlantis lab.2) Technical training for Inuit adults (drinking water microbiology, mercury analyses) using simple techniques. Technology transfer in communities. 3) International program for medical student from the 4 countries.4) Film for the general public with Glacialis production5) Community talk show as was done in Nunavik in each villages6) Web site as what we did (www.qanuippitaa.com) this year

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
The issue of data management is tricky because national laws and regulations usually restrict the exchange of personal data and human biological specimens. The issue will be explored further.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The project will be funded from several national sources including public and private funding agencies. The total budget amounts to app. 100 million DKK in all four countries for a five year period. For the Greenland part of the study, app. half of the funds have been secured from the participating institutions, the Danish Medical Research Council, Ministry of Health, Greenland Directorate of Health. In Canada, substantial contributions have been secured from Arctic Net, CIHR, NCP/DIAND, and Québec Gvt.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The project has also been proposed by our Canadian colleagues to the Canadian IPY committee.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Professor Peter Bjerregaard
National Institute of Public Health
Øster Farimagsgade 5
Copenhagen K
DK-1399
Denmark

Tel: (45) 3920 7777
Mobile: (45) 2097 1222
Fax: (45) 3920 8010
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information