Inuit Wellbeing, Tuberculosis Prevention, and Climate Resilience in the Circumpolar Region
The Canadian government and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami committed to eliminating tuberculosis in Inuit Nunangat by 2030. That goal is off track. At the same time, the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere else on Earth, compounding the health, food security, and infrastructure pressures Inuit communities already face. This session brings together practitioners and researchers working directly on these issues to share what solutions look like on the ground, and where the gaps remain, across the circumpolar North.
This event is co-sponsored by Social Science & Health Innovation for Tuberculosis (SSHIFTB).
Speaker Profiles
Amy Caughey
Amy Caughey is a public health nutritionist in Nunavut, working on Inuit country food, food security, diabetes education, prenatal nutrition, and zoonotic disease prevention and food safety in the Arctic. Over 20 years, she has worked with and learned from families, Elders, hunters, researchers, health professionals, and Inuit organizations across Nunavut. She is a registered dietitian with an MSc in Human Nutrition and Metabolism from the University of Aberdeen, and recently completed a PhD in Public Health at the University of Guelph focused on Inuit country food and nutrition in early life. Amy is of Euro-Canadian settler ancestry from rural Ontario and now lives in Iqaluit with her family.
Naomi Tatty
Naomi Tatty is the Inuit Intercultural Lead at SeeChange Initiative. A former tuberculosis health worker with the Government of Nunavut, she led the Inuit Intergenerational Healing Journey, bringing survivors and family members to former TB sanatoriums in Hamilton, Ontario, to confront a history that displaced thousands of Inuit for treatment, many of whom never returned home. Her work bridges frontline health experience with community-based healing, grounded in Inuit knowledge and lived understanding of how TB has shaped generations of families across Inuit Nunangat. Naomi is also a longstanding community activist, working across health, culture, and intergenerational wellbeing.
Carol Devine (Event Moderator)
Carol Devine is a Humanitarian Affairs Advisor with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada. She co-leads a project on climate, environment and health for MSF and has contributed to the 2018 Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change. Carol has worked with MSF in Rwanda, East Timor, Peru and South Sudan as humanitarian advisor and was the Canadian liaison for MSF's Access to Essential Medicines Campaign. She's also a writer, conceptual artist and social scientist who's led and participated in ocean pollution and research initiatives in the UK, Arctic and Antarctic.
Sara Ferwati (Event Moderator)
Sara Ferwati is a mental health epidemiologist, strategically positioned at the intersection of public health, climate action, and health system innovation in the Government of Nunavut, Canada. Tasked with the mission of addressing mental health issues, particularly mental illnesses and suicide, she shapes health indicators, builds comprehensive databases, and designs efficient surveillance tools. This work assists in better understanding and addressing mental health needs in the territory. This experience has exposed her to the stark realities of mental health challenges and the need for innovative solutions.
Register and join us on Tuesday, October 27, at 11:30 a.m. ET
RSVP
