A call-out for urgent interest in research projects aiming at focusing upon following topics in the field of climate change and its impact on human health has been made. NWT Government would like researchers across Canada to focus upon Climate change along with certain other areas of public health which are urgent research areas.

Research Questions for consideration:

• What were the health effects of wildfire smoke on first responders and NWT residents during the 2023 wildfire season? (Immediate and long term)
• What effects is climate change having on global disease patterns and will NWT be adversely affected in the coming years?

Certain other health research topics of interest:

• What harm reductive practices would the NWT benefit most from in order to address the contaminated drug supply?
• Would a lay vaccination program in the NWT reduce the risk of rabies? How could this program be stood up effectively and equitably with limited resources?
• What is the cost/benefit of publicly funding shingles vaccine to all NWT residents over a certain age?  Same question for pneumococcal vaccine but add crowded and congregate settings?
• Evaluating and Exploring Strategies to Decrease the Impacts of Tuberculosis Treatment” (where it could incorporate some of the recent findings on discontinuing isolation earlier based on some of the research that was just presented as well as the ability/effectiveness of incorporating VOT for treatment versus DOT
• What effective programs or solutions can agencies put in place to reduce the spread of communicable disease in underserved, homeless or overcrowded populations? if any U of C researchers are working or keen to work on projects that involve studies taking place in NWT or with NWT Indigenous communities reach out to IRST to make this connection.

If any UCalgary researchers are working, or keen to work on projects that involve studies taking place in NWT or with NWT Indigenous communities reach out to the IRST team to make this connection.