Innovation Anthology #346:
Tuberculosis is still a major health concern for Aboriginal communities.
Inner city natives are susceptible to drug resistant strains of TB.
But according to Dr. Malcolm King, it’s the Inuit and First Nations people of Canada’s far north who are most at risk.
Dr. King is the scientific director for the Institute of Aboriginal People’s Health which is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
DR. MALCOLM KING: Certainly a lot of it would go away if we were able to improve the housing and reduce poverty in those northern Aboriginal communities. It’s also a case of education and failure to communicate well between health providers and community people. There’s a long history of distrust. People were taken from their homes with tuberculosis in historical times, in the times of people’s grandparents now and many never came back.
An inhaler developed by Dr. King holds great promise in preventing the spread of tuberculosis among family members, particularly to young children.
Thanks today to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
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Sponsor
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Program Date: 2010-10-19