"The response of indigenous people to a disease, including HIV, is holistic. When I was explaining the 90-90-90 global goals to one of my elders, he told me that 'these goals only address the physical part of the disease, and not the mental, emotional and spiritual side of the human being, and that our aim seems to be successful only in terms of the numbers'. I agree with him because we quite often forget the emotional, spiritual and mental side of persons living with HIV or those with TB. We are only interested in the success that numbers tell us," remarked Doris Peltier.
Covid-19 has brought this to light. Doris explained that, "When the pandemic happened globally, the systems responded to the physical side of it. So they developed the vaccine, which was good. But a lot of people suffered because of the lockdown and the mental health issues resulting from being locked down have not been dealt with yet. Many of the people living with HIV are homeless, which makes survival all the more difficult. Social determinants of health are very multi-layered."
The Indigenous Services Canada responded to CNS and told us that, "Budgets 2017 and 2018 announced Canadian dollars 640 million over 10 years to address Inuit Nunangat housing needs."
Speaking on the theme of AIDS 2022, "re-engage and follow the science", Doris Peltier said: "The theme of the conference is very relevant. I would equate science to our understanding of indigenous knowledge which evolves continuously and there is always something new that it uncovers, just like science which keeps on evolving with new research uncovering something new. And as indigenous people, we feel that the personal experiences that people bring to the table in the form of stories is very important. They form qualitative research which is as important and relevant as quantitative research. So it is very relevant to re-engage with science. And we have to address things in a holistic manner keeping the whole person in mind and not just the physical aspect of the disease."
Indigenous peoples and TB elimination targets
We at CNS (Citizen News Service) reached out to the Indigenous Services Canada, which responded: "The Government of Canada has supported Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami through the Inuit Public Health Task Group in the development of the TB Elimination Framework. Funding for TB elimination is allocated to the four Regional Inuit Organizations and the Framework has guided the four Inuit Nunangat regions in developing their own Action Plans, tailored to regional strengths and needs to enhance public health programmes. These regional plans will build capacity within communities to enable earlier diagnosis and treatment of active TB disease and latent TB infection, increase awareness and understanding of TB, and address stigma."
Indigenous Services Canada further said that it supports and promotes access to equitable, culturally-appropriate testing and treatment for TB, and that the Canadian government is committed to eliminating TB across Canada, including in Inuit Nunangat, as well as improving the social and economic factors that contribute to the spread of the disease, including stigma, housing, nutrition and poverty.
Shobha Shukla - CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here www.bit.ly/ShobhaShukla)
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