(Reuters) – Northern Canada’s territories have achieved much higher COVID-19 vaccination rates than their more populous provinces despite geographical challenges, in a sign that prioritizing vaccine deployment in Indigenous and rural communities is bearing fruit.
Two government policies helped drive this first success. A strong outreach to Indigenous communities sought to overcome decades of mistrust by the Canadian government. In addition, officials have sent more doses per capita to the Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, home to many Canadian Indians, than to other provinces.
Other measures also contributed, such as a lottery held in a small town in Nunavut for those who get vaccinated, offering five $ 2000 C cash prizes.
The three territories cover nearly 3.9 million square kilometers (1.5 million square kilometers), or 40% of Canada’s land area. But the hard terrain of the territories is home to only 125,000 people, most of whom are indigenous, many of whom live in airborne communities best accessible by air.
Despite this, nearly 17% of their populations have received at least the first dose of two-dose vaccines, compared to the national figure of 2%, according to government data. The three territories said they are on track to vaccinate at least 75 percent of their adult populations in April, compared to the September goal the federal government has set for the rest of the country.
A LONG TIME AGO
To combat the vaccination, Nunavut Health Minister Lorne Kusugak and the local chief medical officer have been calling local community radio stations to answer questions and calm fears in the days leading up to the arrival. of a vaccine clinic.
Kusugak said the way his government decided to overcome obstacles is by entering communities.
“It could be a community of 100,000, I think that formula works anywhere,” Kusugak said.
Vaccination of Indigenous communities is important to help keep COVID-19 deaths under control in Canada, as the risk of an outbreak in remote areas is considered high.
Dr. Brendan Hanley, chief physician of the Yukon, said the territories share common characteristics: remote, small, and largely indigenous populations scattered over large areas with limited health availability. Hanley called it “gratifying” for provincial and federal governments to recognize these factors.
Vaccination hesitation is a global problem, but mistrust of the authorities has deep roots among these Indians, who make up 5% of the Canadian population and have experienced centuries of ill-treatment and genocide at the hands of the Canadian government.
In addition, Canadian Indians are more likely to experience homelessness or lack access to clean drinking water, making social distancing and handwashing difficult to combat the spread of COVID-19. Their life expectancy is 10 to 15 years less than non-Indigenous Canadians, and they have almost twice the rate of asthma and three times the rate of diabetes.
Recognition of these events has long been expected, according to Natan Obed, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national organization representing the Inuit population of Canada, whose ancestral home covers much of northern Canada. country.
“One of the reasons we have to prioritize is because of our state of health, and that is a legacy of colonialism and racism,” Obed said.
Obed added that the government’s prioritization of Canada’s Indigenous population “demonstrates that we are on a new path to reconciliation.”
Report by Moira Warburton in Vancouver; Edited by Will Dunham and Denny Thomas