ObjectivesHealth Canada's Program for Climate Change and Health Adaptation in Northern First Nation and Inuit Communities is unique among Canadian federal programs in that it enables community-based participatory research by northern communities.Study designThe program was designed to build capacity by funding communities to conduct their own research in cooperation with Aboriginal associations, academics, and governments; that way, communities could develop health-related adaptation plans and communication materials that would help in adaptation decision-making at the community, regional, national and circumpolar levels with respect to human health and a changing environment.MethodsCommunity visits and workshops were held to familiarize northerners with the impacts of climate change on their health, as well as methods to develop research proposals and budgets to meet program requirements.ResultsSince the launch of the Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program in 2008, Health Canada has funded 36 community projects across Canada's North that focus on relevant health issues caused by climate change. In addition, the program supported capacity-building workshops for northerners, as well as a Pan-Arctic Results Workshop to bring communities together to showcase the results of their research. Results include: numerous films and photo-voice products that engage youth and elders and are available on the web; community-based ice monitoring, surveillance and communication networks; and information products on land, water and ice safety, drinking water, food security and safety, and traditional medicine.ConclusionsThrough these efforts, communities have increased their knowledge and understanding of the health effects related to climate change and have begun to develop local adaptation strategies.

The Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program (CCHAP) is a program within the First Nations Inuit Health Branch of Indigenous Services Canada (which was previously under the responsibility of Health Canada). The CCHAP supports Inuit and First Nation communities in mitigating and adapting to the health impacts of climate change. The impacts of climate change on Indigenous health can be observed in multiple areas including, but not limited to, food security, cultural medicines, mental health and landbased practices. This program seeks to address the needs of climate change and health in First Nation and Inuit communities to support resiliency and adaptation to a changing climate both now and in the future through its emphasis on youth and capacity building. The commentary is based on the Program’s eleven years of experience working with and for Indigenous communities and provides an overview of the CCHAP model and the work it has and continues to support. This paper demonstrates three examples of community-based projects to mitigate and adapt to the health impacts of climate change to demonstrate climate change resiliency within Indigenous communities.

Le Programme sur le changement climatique et l’adaptation du secteur de la santé (PCCASS) est un programme qui relève de la Direction générale de la santé des Premières nations et des Inuits de Services aux Autochtones Canada (qui relevait auparavant de Santé Canada). Le PCCASS aide les collectivités des Premières Nations et des Inuits à réduire l’impact des changements climatiques sur la santé et à s’adapter à ces derniers. Les conséquences des changements climatiques sur la santé des Autochtones se font sentir dans plusieurs secteurs, notamment la sécurité alimentaire, les remèdes traditionnels, la santé mentale et les pratiques reposant sur l’utilisation des terres. Le programme vise à répondre aux besoins des collectivités des Premières Nations et des Inuits engendrés par les changements climatiques et les problèmes de santé qui en découlent, afin de favoriser la résilience et l’adaptation face aux changements climatiques actuels et à venir, et ce, en mettant au premier plan les jeunes et le renforcement des compétences. Cet article, qui se fonde sur les onze années d’expérience du PCCASS avec les collectivités autochtones, fournit un aperçu de son modèle et des travaux qu’il a soutenus et qu’il continue de soutenir. On y présente trois exemples de projets communautaires pour réduire les conséquences des changements climatiques sur la santé et s’y adapter, projets qui témoignent de la résilience des collectivités autochtones face aux changements climatiques.