Indigenous health-care sovereignty defines resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic

Petrov, Andrey N.; Dorough, Dalee Sambo; Tiwari, Sweta; Mark, Welford; Golosov, Nikolay; Devlin, Michele; Degai, Tatiana; Ksenofontov, Stanislav; DeGroote, John

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00684-0

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Higher CFR would be expected in the Arctic due to limited accessibility to healthcare facilities, the presence of vulnerable populations (such as individuals with preexisting health conditions), and potential difficulties or inconsistencies in implementing effective containment and healthcare measures. Notably, however, across all Arctic regions, the CFR remained below the national levels of their respective countries, an important fact that has been highlighted in the literature as a sign of resilience to the pandemic ( 8 , 15 , 37 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some Arctic regions became among the first parts of the world to administer mass vaccination as early as December 2020. This effort, along with other factors, has been considered instrumental in weakening the impacts of the pandemic in remote Arctic communities ( 37 ). To examine the effectiveness of the early vaccination campaign on the later dynamics of COVID-19 outcomes in these subregions, we conducted simple correlation and regression analysis.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, traditional healing practices, herbal medicines, and culturally appropriate interventions were found to be incorporated into Indigenous healthcare ( 24 , 34 , 35 ). Indigenous communities’ proactive leadership, grounded in the principle of self-determination in addition to customary practices, and Indigenous knowledge systems not only saved many lives but also highlighted the necessity and importance of healthcare approaches that are culturally attuned and responsive ( 20 , 28 , 36 , 37 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The distinct combination of remoteness, vulnerable populations, and the Arctic communities’ resilience has rendered it a significant focal point in COVID-19 research ( 20 , 37 , 38 ). This focus aids in comprehending pandemic dynamics and pinpointing effective response strategies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Regional geographies and public health lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic

Tiwari,

Petrov,

Golosov

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectivesThis study examines the COVID-19 pandemic’s spatiotemporal dynamics in 52 sub-regions in eight Arctic states. This study further investigates the potential impact of early vaccination coverage on subsequent COVID-19 outcomes within these regions, potentially revealing public health insights of global significance.MethodsWe assessed the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in Arctic sub-regions using three key epidemiological variables: confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, and case fatality ratio (CFR), along with vaccination rates to evaluate the effectiveness of the early vaccination campaign on the later dynamics of COVID-19 outcomes in these regions.ResultsFrom February 2020 to February 2023, the Arctic experienced five distinct waves of COVID-19 infections and fatalities. However, most Arctic regions consistently maintained Case Fatality Ratios (CFRs) below their respective national levels throughout these waves. Further, the regression analysis indicated that the impact of initial vaccination coverage on subsequent cumulative mortality rates and Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) was inverse and statistically significant. A common trend was the delayed onset of the pandemic in the Arctic due to its remoteness. A few regions, including Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Northern Canada, Finland, and Norway, experienced isolated spikes in cases at the beginning of the pandemic with minimal or no fatalities. In contrast, Alaska, Northern Sweden, and Russia had generally high death rates, with surges in cases and fatalities.ConclusionAnalyzing COVID-19 data from 52 Arctic subregions shows significant spatial and temporal variations in the pandemic’s severity. Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Northern Canada, Finland, and Norway exemplify successful pandemic management models characterized by low cases and deaths. These outcomes can be attributed to successful vaccination campaigns, and proactive public health initiatives along the delayed onset of the pandemic, which reduced the impact of COVID-19, given structural and population vulnerabilities. Thus, the Arctic experience of COVID-19 informs preparedness for future pandemic-like public health emergencies in remote regions and marginalized communities worldwide that share similar contexts.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Regional geographies and public health lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic

Tiwari,

Petrov,

Golosov

et al. 2024

Front. Public Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Developed countries such as the USA and the UK had very high cumulative confirmed COVID-19 death rates (i.e., above 315 per 100 000), 26 which were 2-3 times as high in some Arctic countries and Indigenous communities. [27][28][29] Among 7.5 million Arctic residents, 30 as of 1 December 2022, there were 29 325 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. 27 Out of these, about 26 000 (i.e., 285 per 100 000) deaths were ascribed to Northern Russia.…”

Section: Bmj Global Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incorporating resilience when assessing pandemic risk in the Arctic: a case study of Alaska

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The discourse on vulnerability to COVID-19 or any other pandemic is about the susceptibility to the effects of disease outbreaks. Over time, vulnerability has been assessed through various indices calculated using a confluence of societal factors. However, categorising Arctic communities, without considering their socioeconomic, cultural and demographic uniqueness, into the high and low continuum of vulnerability using universal indicators will undoubtedly result in the underestimation of the communities’ capacity to withstand and recover from pandemic exposure. By recognising vulnerability and resilience as two separate but interrelated dimensions, this study reviews the Arctic communities’ ability to cope with pandemic risks. In particular, we have developed a pandemic vulnerability–resilience framework for Alaska to examine the potential community-level risks of COVID-19 or future pandemics. Based on the combined assessment of the vulnerability and resilience indices, we found that not all highly vulnerable census areas and boroughs had experienced COVID-19 epidemiological outcomes with similar severity. The more resilient a census area or borough is, the lower the cumulative death per 100 000 and case fatality ratio in that area. The insight that pandemic risks are the result of the interaction between vulnerability and resilience could help public officials and concerned parties to accurately identify the populations and communities at most risk or with the greatest need, which, in turn, helps in the efficient allocation of resources and services before, during and after a pandemic. A resilience–vulnerability-focused approach described in this paper can be applied to assess the potential effect of COVID-19 and similar future health crises in remote regions or regions with large Indigenous populations in other parts of the world.

show abstract

Factors associated with receiving an initial COVID-19 vaccine among Alaskan residents: results from an online cross-sectional survey

Garcia,

Meyer,

Edwards

et al. 2023

International Journal of Circumpolar Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We conducted an online survey of Alaskan adults between May and June, 2022 to identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Of the 948 respondents, approximately 80% reported having received a COVID-19 vaccine. The factors significantly associated with ever receiving COVID-19 vaccine include perceived risk of harm if not vaccinated (PRH), the vaccination status of the respondent’s social network (SNW), gender, and education. For each point increase in PRH score, there was more than three times the odds of having ever been vaccinated (OR = 3.42, p < 0.001); and for every point increase in SNW score, there was more than two times the odds of having ever been vaccinated (OR = 2.15, p < 0.001). Males had more than four times the odds of having ever been vaccinated compared to females (OR = 4.55, p < 0.001). Those with a college degree (OR = 2.80, p < 0.05) had greater odds of ever being vaccinated compared to their counterparts. Findings from this sample suggest that, among Alaskans, ever receiving a COVID-19 vaccine is associated with having a majority of their close social networks who have received COVID-19 vaccine and perceiving that not obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine can pose greater risk of harm to themselves than not getting vaccinated. Practical implications of these findings are provided.

show abstract

Indigenous health-care sovereignty defines resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

Regional geographies and public health lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic

Regional geographies and public health lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic

Incorporating resilience when assessing pandemic risk in the Arctic: a case study of Alaska

Factors associated with receiving an initial COVID-19 vaccine among Alaskan residents: results from an online cross-sectional survey

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About