Welcome to the Indigenous Alberta Healthy Communities Approach.
Supporting people to enhance health and wellness in their community.
Research shows First Nation, Métis and Inuit Communities in Alberta experience greater inequities in health conditions, such as elevated rates of chronic and communicable diseases, reduced life expectancy, challenges in accessing healthcare services and mental health and addictions issues compared to non-Indigenous populations. Challenges in accessing healthcare results in lower screening rates and leads to disproportionate levels of morbidity and late-stage cancer diagnoses.
The Indigenous Alberta Healthy Communities Approach (IAHCA) and tools assist Indigenous communities to prepare and develop cancer prevention and screening action plans. The Guide to Preparing Indigenous Communities for Cancer Prevention: A Pathway to Healthier Communities, outlines a process that focuses on collaborative learning and action-based planning. The approach is available to all communities that want to participate.
The Guide’s checkpoints provide tools to:
- Create community connections
- Complete knowledge gathering and community assessments
- Identify and prioritize action areas
- Create a community action and evaluation plan
- Implement and evaluate the action plan
- Sustain action and support collaborative relationships
- Share your success and tell your story
Watch this video to learn about the successes and perspectives of those who participated in the Indigenous Alberta Healthy Communities Approach Phase I and II.
Lasting change occurs when communities help lead the solution. The Indigenous Alberta Healthy Communities Approach offers a practical process to strengthen community capacity, create lasting relationships and connections, build on community strengths and tackle shared challenges.
Overview
