H1N1 and First Nations poverty

When the first wave of H1N1 hit this past spring, it was quickly apparent that this new strain of flu was not affecting people equally. Individuals of First Nations descent, particularly in the Prairie provinces, were disproportionately vulnerable to the virus. In Manitoba, the majority of patients admitted into intensive care for H1N1 were of First Nations descent, despite the fact that they make up less than fifteen percent of the province’s population.

A Globe and Mail article published in September – aptly titled “Influenza has a cure: affluence” offers an in-depth account of the role that poverty has played in the relatively high prevalence of H1N1 infections in First Nations communities. Limited sanitation, poor living conditions and overcrowding caused by a lack of adequate and affordable housing are identified as primary reasons why First Nations peoples have experienced such high rates of infection.

Poverty and health are inextricably linked. Social determinants – including sufficient income, access to healthy food, and adequate housing – have a significant impact on the health of individuals and families. Those living in poverty are much more likely to experience poor health and illness than people with higher incomes.

While First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities are recognized as being more vulnerable to H1N1 and have been placed high on the priority list for the vaccine, susceptibility to the illness remains a symptom of the high rates of poverty that continue to persist.

The Kelowna Accord, an agreement brokered in 2005 between the federal government, provinces and First Nations leaders, offered $5 billion to First Nations communities over five years for social and economic development in order to eradicate poverty in Aboriginal communities. The funds were to be invested in education, housing, health and economic development, and the Accord heralded by many as a sign of significant progress. However, the Liberal government fell soon afterwards and the Accord was shelved.

According to the 1996 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Final Report, First Nations poverty will cost Canada up to $11 billion a year due to lost productivity and the expense of social assistance programs. But it is the human cost that remains the true tragedy.

We cannot eradicate poverty in Canada without closing the socio-economic gap between First Nations peoples and the rest of Canada. We must ensure that all peoples in Canada have the means to enjoy a life with dignity, and that includes freedom from poverty.