Fostering Circumpolar Collaboration for Good Health

How the One Health approach can contribute to better public health in the Arctic

Article by:
Sarah Cox and Nadia Trempe, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

One Health is a concept and approach that promotes collaboration across disciplines to identify, prevent and manage health risks. The core principle of One Health is to recognize that ecosystem linkages and interdependencies require a holistic approach to health issues. The approach therefore involves diverse experts and knowledge holders in addressing the complex health issues at the human-animal-ecosystem interface.

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated the significant impacts public health crises can have on security, economic stability, and population health worldwide. It showed how health threats can destabilize communities and nations.

In the Arctic, the impacts of such crises are even more severe. In a region shaped by extreme temperature, vast distances, and dramatic shifts in daylight, Arctic communities have unique needs regarding access to healthcare, food, water, shelter and community traditions. So, how can public health challenges be addressed in ways that best serve the region and its people?

A promising entry point is the One Health approach. One Health recognizes that everything is interconnected: the health of people, animals and the shared environment. While the approach is increasingly gaining attention internationally, Indigenous Peoples have applied One Health long before the term was coined. Across the Arctic, Indigenous Peoples possess immense understanding of their environments and ecosystems based on millennia of living close to nature and practicing subsistence. Thus, approaching public health issues in the Arctic from a One Health perspective is a natural fit.