(Reuters) – Canada’s northern territories have achieved much higher COVID-19 vaccination rates than the more populous provinces, despite geographic challenges, a sign that prioritizing vaccine rollout in indigenous and rural communities is paying off.
Two government measures contributed to this early success. A robust outreach to indigenous communities sought to overcome the mistrust that arose from decades of mistreatment by the Canadian government. In addition, officials have sent more doses per capita to the Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, home to much of Canada’s indigenous people, than to other provinces.
Other measures also contributed, including a raffle held in a small town in Nunavut for those who were vaccinated, offering five cash rewards of C $ 2000.
The three territories cover nearly 3.9 million square kilometers (1.5 million square miles), or 40% of Canada’s landmass. But the rugged terrain of the areas is home to just 125,000 people, the majority of whom are indigenous and many live in fly-in communities best reached by air.
Despite this, nearly 17% of their population has 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 are on track to have at least 75% of their adult population vaccinated by April, compared to the September target set by the federal government for the rest of the country.
LONG TOO LATE
To counter hesitation about vaccines, Nunavut’s Health Minister Lorne Kusugak and the area’s chief medical officer contacted local radio stations the days before a vaccine clinic’s arrival to answer questions and calm fears.
Kusugak said the way his government decided to overcome the hurdles is by going to communities.
“It could be a community of 100,000, I think this formula works everywhere,” said Kusugak.
Vaccinating the indigenous communities is important to control COVID-19 deaths in Canada as the risk of an outbreak in remote areas is considered high.
Dr. Brendan Hanley, Yukon’s chief medical officer, said the areas share common features – remote, small, and largely indigenous populations scattered across large areas with limited health care availability. Hanley called it “gratifying” that the state and federal governments recognized these factors.
The reluctance to vaccinate is a global problem, but distrust of the authorities has deep roots in this indigenous population, who represent 5% of the Canadian population and have been abused and genocideed by the Canadian government for centuries.
In addition, the indigenous people of Canada are more likely to be homeless or lack access to clean drinking water, making it difficult to stand back and wash hands to stop the spread of COVID-19. Their life expectancy is 10 to 15 years shorter than that of non-native Canadians, and they have nearly double asthma and triple diabetes.
According to Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, a national organization representing the Inuit people of Canada, whose ancestral home covers much of the north of the country, recognition of these facts is long overdue.
“Part of the reason we should be prioritized is because of our health status – and that’s a legacy of colonialism and racism,” Obed said.
The government’s priority for the indigenous people of Canada, Obed added, “shows that we are breaking new ground in reconciliation.”
Reporting by Moira Warburton in Vancouver; Adaptation by Will Dunham and Denny Thomas