Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Public health in Russian Arctic: Analytical review for Russian Program of International Polar Year 2007-2008  (RAHR (Russian Arctic Health Review))

Outline
The goal of the project is to assess the principal processes which determine the conditions of life and health of the people living in high-latitude territories of the Russian Federation, and to compare the main health indicators of indigenous and non-aboriginal population in Russian and in foreign Arctic by the beginning of IPY. The complex study will consist from the following major sections: 1. Appraisal of medico-demographic health indexes and their dynamics in 20-25 Russian Arctic cities for 10 years using WHO and WB criteria. Comparing the indexes with those for foreign Arctic. 2. Study the influence of climate warming on the health of circumpolar population. 2a. Collecting initial data on air temperature, concentration of pollutants, and daily cause-specific mortality will make it possible to assess the influence of high summer temperatures, and can be used to prognosticate high temperature attributed mortality. 2b. A pilot questionnaire survey will give us information on how aboriginal people perceive the climate change influence on their health, environment, and economy. 3. Analysis of quality and dynamics of modernization trends in the Russian Arctic, existing and emerging health risk factors for aboriginal and non-indigenous population. 3a. Evaluation the life style transformation’s stressing pressure by collecting psychological and medico-biological data in aboriginal communities. 3b. Study new trends in urbanization. Whereas the urban population of the Russian North is contracting, the number of living in cities aborigines grows. We plan to analyze the influence of urbanization upon ethnic and assimilation processes; and changes in population in highly and less urbanized northern peoples. 3c. Analysis of social, economic, and environmental factors affecting the diet of aboriginal people. We intend to assess the influence of the shift in hunted species on food composition; and the connection of population-genetic processes with the prevalence of the “metabolic syndrome”. 3d. Assess the alcohol-associated morbidity and losses in aboriginal and migrant population of the Russian North. Epidemiological alcoholization indexes will further be analyzed in connection to the population frequencies of ethanol-metabolic ADH1B*47His and ALDH2*2 alleles. 3e. Study demographic tendencies, and epidemiologic transmission’s peculiarity in aboriginal population. Collect the data on mortality, demographic and non-demographic increase, reproductive behavior, life longevity, and age-sex population composition for northern aborigines. 4. Comparison of consolidated medico-demographic indexes and health risk factors in Russian Arctic, northern Europe, USA, and Canada.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Assessment of demographic trends and health risk factors in different social, geographic and ethnic groups of the Russian Arctic. Predictive modelling of mortality rates attributed to the climate change in the Arctic on the basis of epidemiologic studies. Evaluation of modernization and urbanization influence on public health and ethnic self-identification of indigenous peoples of Russian Arctic.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The project envisages an assessment of public health in the Russian Arctic in circumpolar context. It will be provided by unification of research methods and sharing data with participants from Finland, Canada, and Sweden.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Regions of Russian Arctic: Chukotka, Western Siberia, Yakutia, Kola Peninsula

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 07-09/2007      04-09/2008      
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
No

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
No

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

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes -The project has been endorsed by a member of the Russian National IPY Committee acad. Kotlykov; regarded as an important component of the Arctic Council’s IPY coordinating proposal the “Arctic Human Health Initiative”; and approved by the International Network of Circumpolar Health Research

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?
No

A component of the “Arctic Human Health Initiative” (FP # 167)

How will the project be organised and managed?
The project will use the management structures of the engaged research institutions.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Analytical review and memo “Public health and health risk factors in Russian Arctic” will be addressed to State Duma and other interested organizations. These documents will be available for public in general and decision makers. Participation of young specialists, graduate and under-graduate students, including representatives of indigenous people of the North, will help to build up scientific expertise and carry out further research in this area.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Results will be published in scientific and popular media (including the monograph “Health Transition in Arctic Populations”)

How is it proposed to fund the project?
At the time the project has a partial support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, International Network of Circumpolar Health Research, and Toronto University (publication of the book “Health Transition in Arctic Populations”). The project leaders will apply for grants in the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and the Arctic Council.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Boris Alexandrovich Revich
Institute of Economic Forecast of RAS
Moscow, Nakhimovsky Prospect, 47
117418
Russia

Tel: +7 (495) 129-1800
Mobile: no
Fax: +7 (495) 718 97 71
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation