Human Health and Well-Being

Several international organizations promote health and well-being across Arctic countries and regions. A variety of monitoring programs and research networks collect and share a variety of health data. In recent years, Arctic health research is increasingly focusing on the health and well-being of Indigenous peoples of the North. This priority recognizes the major changes experienced by Indigenous peoples in terms of their living conditions. Indigenous people in some regions continue to suffer poorer health status compared to the majority populations of the Arctic nations and redressing such disparities requires the attention of policy makers and health service agencies. The increasing interest in the development of the Arctic has resulted in several initiatives, such as the Arctic Social Indicators project (ASI, 2010; ASI, 2014) and the first Arctic Human Development Report (AHDR, 2004).