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NAHO press release

Training in Statistics for Inuit

October 23, 2008

OTTAWA, ON — The Naasautit: Inuit Health Statistics project will begin its workshop series next month on statistics and research for Inuit working in the health field.

Naasautit (the Inuit language word for numbers) is a national project launched this year by the Ajunnginiq Centre of the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) to enable Inuit organizations and communities to make better use of statistics on Inuit health.

Training is a major part of the Naasautit project. The newly hired staff – known as Inuit Health Data Analyst Interns – will take workshops to learn more about how numbers are used to describe health and living conditions and how to use numbers to tell stories.

The workshops are also open to others who are working in the area of Inuit health or want to learn more about health statistics, research and surveys. Inuit interested in using statistics can attend one of the upcoming workshops delivered by the Ajunnginiq Centre of NAHO and Statistics Canada.

The training program kicks off in Ottawa on November 3 with Inuit Health Research Ethics. This half-day workshop is designed for people new to the topic of research ethics. Gwen Healey, the executive director of the Arctic Health Research Network – Nunavut, is the facilitator. This will be followed by Statistics Canada’s four-day workshop Surveys: From Start to Finish. Participants will gain the basic knowledge to understand the survey process and provide some tools to design, conduct, and analyze a simple survey. Statistics Canada training will also include a component using MSExcel and Beyond 20/20 software.

Those interested can register online for the upcoming sessions at www.naasautit.ca and click on Workshops.

Over the next 18 months, the Ajunnginiq Centre and Statistics Canada’s Aboriginal Statistical Training Program will continue training the Inuit Health Data Analysts through workshops in each of the Inuit regions. The first, Introduction to Basic Statistical Techniques, will be held in Nain, Dec. 4-6 and is open to the community.

The Analysts are based at the four regional land claims organizations: Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunatsiavut Government, Makivik Corporation through the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated. Throughout the project, the Analysts will collect, analyze and share existing health statistics while building a regional-national Web directory of health statistics. ―When we asked our regional partners about what they needed most‖, says Dianne Kinnon, director of the Ajunnginiq Centre of NAHO, ―training topped the list.

Currently, the newly hired Analysts from the Inuvialuit and Nunatsiavut regions are enrolled in Introduction to Epidemiological Concepts offered by the Public Health Agency of Canada to learn how to use public health statistics related to disease and living conditions.

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Backgrounder is attached.

For media inquiries, contact: Denise Rideout, Communications Officer, Ajunnginiq Centre drideout@naho.ca,. 613-760-3516, Toll-free: 1-877-602-4445

Regional and national contacts:

Crystal Lennie, AHTF Health Policy Coordinator, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, clennie@irc.inuvialuit.com,. 867-777-7025

Pierre Lecomte, Regional Engagement Coordinator, Social and Cultural Development Department, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., plecomte@tunngavik.com,. 867-975-4929

Serge Déry, Director, Public Health, Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, Government of Québec, serge_dery@ssss.gouv.qc.ca,. 819-964-2222

Michele Wood, Researcher/Evaluator, Department of Health and Social Development, Nunatsiavut Government, michele_wood@nunatsiavut.com,. 709-896-9750

Tom Axtell, National Coordinator, Naasautit, taxtell@naho.ca. , 613-237-9462 ext 550

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BACKGROUNDER

Naasautit: Inuit Health Statistics was developed by five partner organizations – Ajunnginiq Centre of the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO), the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, and the newly-created Nunatsiavut Government – and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami under the Aboriginal Health Transition Fund to meet the common need for credible and reliable health statistics for Inuit organizations and communities.

Naasautit: Inuit Health Statistics aims to establish within Inuit organizations, the capacity to gather and share reliable and credible statistical information for Inuit communities and other stakeholders. The Naasautit project will produce high quality information by:

• Developing knowledge and providing access to relevant data from the Canadian sources of statistics.
• Delivering population health and statistical training.
• Promoting data usage (collection, analysis, interpretation and publication).
• Identifying data users, needs, products, standards, research and analysis priorities.
• Providing custom reports, tabulations and specified data analysis, interpretation and publication services.

Health Canada is funding the Naasautit project. By increasing the participation of all Aboriginal peoples in the design, delivery and evaluation of health services, Health Canada’s Aboriginal Health Transition Fund aims to improve the quality of, and access to, health services for all Aboriginal Peoples in Canada.

Statistics Canada’s 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey and Aboriginal Children’s Survey being released this fall are major sources of Inuit health information for Naasautit. When the Inuit Health Survey (coordinated by McGill University) which just finished visiting the coastal communities of Nunatsiavut, Labrador, completes its journey, Inuit will have the most complete picture on everything from food security to heart health to hearing loss. Naasautit will also gather and distribute hard to find information collected by the Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut and Northwest Territories governments.