Northern Territories, home to many of Canada’s indigenous peoples, lead the launch of the COVID-19 vaccine

(Reuters) – Northern Canada’s territories achieved much higher vaccination rates for COVID-19 than their most populous provinces, despite geographical challenges, in a sign that prioritizing vaccine distribution in indigenous and rural communities is paying off worth it.

Two government policies helped drive this initial success. Strong outreach to indigenous communities sought to overcome mistrust stemming from decades of abuse by the Canadian government. In addition, authorities have sent more doses per capita to Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, home to many of Canada’s indigenous peoples, than to other provinces.

Other measures also contributed, including a lottery held in a small town in Nunavut for those who are vaccinated offering five cash prizes of C $ 2,000.

The three territories cover almost 3.9 million square kilometers (1.5 million square miles), or 40% of Canada’s landmass. But the territories’ arid terrain is home to just 125,000 people, most of whom are indigenous, many living in air communities with easier access.

Despite this, almost 17% of their populations received at least the first dose of the two-dose vaccines, compared to the national figure of 2%, according to government data. All three territories said they were on track to have at least 75% of their adult populations vaccinated by April, compared to the September target the federal government set for the rest of the country.

VERY WINNER

To combat vaccine hesitation, Nunavut Health Minister Lorne Kusugak and the chief medical officer of the territory have been calling local community radio stations to answer questions and calm fears days before a vaccine clinic arrives.

Kusugak said that the way his government decided to overcome the obstacles was by entering the communities.

“It could be a community of 100,000, I think that formula works anywhere,” said Kusugak.

Vaccination of indigenous communities is important to help keep COVID-19 deaths in Canada under control, as the risk of an outbreak in remote areas is considered high.

Dr. Brendan Hanley, Yukon’s medical director, said the territories share common characteristics – remote, small, and largely indigenous populations dispersed over large areas with limited health availability. Hanley called it “gratifying” that the provincial and federal governments recognized these factors.

Vaccination hesitation is a global problem, but the authorities’ distrust has deep roots among these indigenous peoples, who represent 5% of Canada’s population and have suffered centuries of ill-treatment and genocide at the hands of the Canadian government.

In addition, indigenous people in Canada are more likely to experience homelessness or lack of access to safe drinking water, making social distancing and hand washing recommended to combat the spread of COVID-19 difficult. Their life expectancy is 10 to 15 years less than that of non-indigenous Canadians, and they have almost twice the rate of asthma and three times the rate of diabetes.

Recognition of these facts is long overdue, according to Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national organization representing Canada’s Inuit population, whose ancestral home covers much of the north of the country.

“Part of the reason why we need to be prioritized is because of our state of health – and that is a legacy of colonialism and racism,” said Obed.

The prioritization of the government of Canada’s indigenous population, added Obed, “shows that we are on a new path in reconciliation.”