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Description: 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk in the world today.  This group seeks to understand underlying issues contributing to air pollution in Circumpolar communities, how air pollution health risks may be assessed, and what can be done to reduce particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) an air pollutant that can severely affect lung function. Their goal is to make people and animals more resilient to air pollution exposure.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders: 

• Srijan Aggarwal

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antimicrobial resistance is a critical One Health issue as it affects human, animal, and agricultural industries. This group is being assembled to identify and address the areas in which the Circumpolar North are affected through collaboration of wildlife, agricultural, and animal and human health professionals.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders:

• Devin Drown

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

Cancer and some chronic diseases are more common in Alaska Native populations than the US population in general.  This group seeks to define the incidence of these diseases in Alaska and across the Circumpolar North and develop research projects that will help understand potential contributing factors.  We will also seek to support health professionals in the early detection and preventive strategies that will help decrease morbidity and mortality from these diseases.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team Leaders: 

• Andrej Potlusky

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

 

Description: 

For Decades groups like the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) and the Arctic Contaminant Action Program (ACAP) have been monitoring environmental contaminants in the Arctic.  This group will continue this work in synergy with established groups and public health professionals across the Arctic to monitor heavy metals and POPs, PSP and PAP to provide information that will help communities make decisions on how they process and consume their subsistence food resources.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders: 

• Jim Berner

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description:

Data management and sharing is required by several of the government funding and research agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Health (NIH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Requiring and providing transparency among researchers helps promote collaboration and use of data. This group views data as a valuable resource and aims to be the point of communication among the other working groups, as well as designing and presenting a concept behind a quantitative database of all the information obtained by the working groups.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders: 

• Pips Veazey
• Julie Benson

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

In Alaska and across the Arctic, many communities do not have access to commercially produced food items and therefore rely on subsistence activities such as hunting, fishing, gardening, and gathering.  These activities are not regulated or supported by government agencies that are associated with food safety and security, such as the United States Department of Agriculture, (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This group aims to identify and address some of the social/cultural issues surrounding subsistence living and identify ways that food safety and security are affected by these issues.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders: 

• David Payer

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

The well-being of Alaskans is at high risk due to historical and current social, environmental, and cultural changes. Through a collaborative multidisciplinary, One Health approach, this group aims to address the resulting increasing negative impacts on mental health by identifying the different factors to both risk for and resilience to mental health issues and build solutions through a holistic approach.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders: 

• Siri Tuttle
• Kristen Ogilvie

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

Land in the Arctic region is impacted by various environmental factors (such as temperature extremes, permafrost, thawing grounds, and erosion) requiring multiple different infrastructural design and construction strategies. This group aims to identify challenges and integrate practical, economical, and culturally appropriate design platforms and construction materials and methods to promote individual and community well-being and viability for climate appropriate infrastructure in circumpolar communities.  

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders:

• Erin Whitney

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

Education is the foundation for development and success. More organizations are continuing to recognize that a One Health approach supports engagement of rural and Indigenous students and provides a sustainable approach to well-being and resource management. To achieve these aims, One Health should be integrated into curriculum from K-12 through post-secondary education. This group seeks to establish and support educational programs in school systems (K-12) and universities for communities throughout the Circumpolar North.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders: 

• Lisa Busch

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that knowledge integration at every stage of policy development, and in every policy cycle could strengthen the coordination and governance of One Health implementation. The focus of this working group is to ensure that One Health knowledge is available to policy makers, stakeholders, and interest groups at every level of policy making, and to support ways the integration of this multidisciplinary knowledge into the policies that are implemented.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders: 

• Lisa Schwarzburg
• Carrie Stevens

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

Science communication is the public communication of science-related topics to non-experts. This group seeks to ensure that all populations of people, no matter their education level, can understand the One Health issues that are taking place around them.  

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders:

• Lisa Busch

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

According to a survey conducted by the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), there is a significantly higher prevalence of inadequate water and sanitation services in the Arctic region compared to the communities located in lower latitudes.  In the Arctic, providing adequate water and sanitation services can be an issue due to infrastructure costs and threats related to climate change. This group will collaborate to provide tools to improve fresh safe, secure water access and sanitation systems in the Circumpolar North.

 
Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders:

• Srijan Aggarwal

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu

Description: 

This group seeks to use a multisectoral, One Health approach to identify, prioritize, and address the endemic and emerging zoonotic diseases of greatest concern for the Arctic and Circumpolar North. This will be done through collaboration and implementation of surveillance and focused studies to help protect people and animals threatened by these diseases.

Timeline: The first official working group meetings will be scheduled in September unless team members want to meet prior to that time frame.

Team leaders:

• Angie Fitch
• Amy Klink

Questions Contact: 

• Kelsey Nicholson- klnicholson2@alaska.edu
• Hannah Robinson- hrobinson3@alaska.edu