Mandate
In accordance with the Act respecting health services and social services, the Department of Public Health is responsible for management of the regional public-health program. For that purpose, it establishes priorities, organizes services and allocates resources.
Jointly with various partners, including the two health institutions, the Department of Public Health ensures application of the regional public-health program, which covers:
- protection of public health, including the areas of infectious diseases and environmental contaminants. This sector includes the identification of situations of risk for the population and the setup of the necessary corrective measures;
- disease prevention;
- health promotion;
- awareness and monitoring of the Nunavik population’s state of health, including information for the population on its overall state of health.
The following are among the programs under the responsibility of the Department of Public Health:
- prevention and control of infectious diseases, particularly MADOs;
- prevention and control of STBIs and HIV/AIDS;
- prevention and control of diabetes;
- regional immunization program;
- occupational-health program;
- promotion od healthy lifestyles;
- promotion of healthy nutrition;
- Good Touch/Bad Touch program;
- anti-smoking program;
- monitoring of the regional population’s state of health (health surveys (Qanuippittaa, dental health, mortality, etc.);
- regional food policy;
- public-health subsidy program;
- ISPEC program.
Regional action plan for public health
Nunavik Nutrition and Health Committee (NNHC)
The Nunavik Nutrition and Health Committee (NNHC) is an advisory committee to the Director of Public Health.
The general objective of the NNHC is to ensure regional coordination and communication on issues related to environmental health, nutrition and contaminants. More specifically, the NNHC serves as liaison between researchers and the Nunavik communities and provides information necessary for the public’s understanding of data related to environmental health and contaminants in Nunavik. The NNHC also serves as the regional ethics committee for research related to health, nutrition and contaminants.
The NNHC meets three times a year in order to carry out its mandate. The NNHC brings together representatives of many organizations occupying pertinent functions.
