Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (IAPH)

Toronto, ON (Aug 29, 2002) - The first national health research institute in the world dedicated to improving the health of aboriginal people has outlined the many opportunities created in its first year of operation. The Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (CIHR-IAPH), founded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, was created to support and promote health research that has a positive impact on the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health of aboriginal people at all stages of life."Involving aboriginal people in the development of research into aboriginal health is critical to finding long-term solutions that address the serious problems in the community," according to Dr. Jeff Reading, Scientific Director of the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health (CIHR-IAPH).

The Institute, guided by national and international experts in health and aboriginal issues, is pursuing the development of health research partnerships, the insertion of aboriginal values and culture into the development of ethical standards and policies, building the resources and number of aboriginal health researchers in Canada and funding initiatives that address urgent or emerging health issues affecting aboriginal people.

The CIHR-IAPH annual report highlights the importance of making research relevant to aboriginal people. Aboriginal people in Canada experience much higher incidence of many health problems including significantly higher rates of cancer, diabetes and arthritis; heart disease; mental health including suicide; HIV/AIDS; and morbidity and mortality related to injuries. Infant mortality rates are twice to three times the national average, with high rates of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE), and poor nutrition.

The annual report also introduces the CIHR-IAPH flagship program, Aboriginal Capacity and Developmental Research Environments (ACADRE). The four centres currently established across Canada focus on exploring critical aboriginal health issues such as addictions and mental health, nutrition, lifestyle modification, and prevention with the objective of working under international standards of research excellence and undertaking research with the full approval from involved aboriginal communities.

CIHR-IAPH encourages aboriginal communities, individuals and organizations with an interest in health research to investigate the programs that we have to offer through our Annual Report. It can be found at here or contact Linda Day at 416-946-8057 for a copy.