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Mass screening for tuberculosis will take place in Inukjuak, Que., this month, with other villages to follow in the future.
The Inuulitsivik Health Centre (IHC), which provides services to Nunavimmiut on the Hudson Bay coast, said it will be setting up mobile clinics in Inukjuak from Nov. 3 to Nov. 28. After that, IHC said each community along the Hudson coast will have its own screening.
In a written statement to CBC News, IHC said the rollout of this new screening effort stems from an “urgency to address tuberculosis,” and follows discussions with local mayors who sounded the alarm about the spread of the disease earlier this year.
“This initiative was identified as a top priority for both the Inuulitsivik Health Centre and the communities we serve,” IHC wrote.
In September, the regional board of health and social services said tuberculosis cases in the region were rising at rates far above those seen elsewhere in Canada, and are among the highest in the world.
As of Sept. 16, there were 83 cases this year confirmed in the region and seven villages experiencing outbreaks. If the trend continues, the health board worries 2025 could see a new record of cases.
IHC said there will be clinics in key locations in Inukjuak, such as schools, workplaces, and the local co-op. As well, staff will be going door-to-door to provide Nunavimmiut with information about tuberculosis.
IHC said the mass screening in Inukjuak will serve as a model for future initiatives in other communities.
Tuberculosis, if detected early, can be treated without having to send patients out of their community, IHC said.
Symptoms can include a cough that persists for more than three weeks, a cough accompanied by blood, fever, great fatigue, loss of appetite, night sweats and weight loss.
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