Joint news release with the Government of Northwest Territories and the Government of Nunavut
In advance of the meeting in Halifax of Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Social Services, health and social services Ministers from Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut met to discuss key areas of strategic collaboration to improve outcomes in health and social services across the North.
Attending the meeting were NWT Minister of Health and Social Services Glen Abernethy, Nunavut Minister of Health Pat Angnakak, Nunavut Minister of Family Services Elisapee Sheutiapik, and Yukon Minister of Health and Social Services Pauline Frost.
The Ministers discussed ways to strengthen working relationships between the territories, and looked at developing common approaches to Northern health and social services initiatives. Discussions also touched on Indigenous children and youth in care, recruitment and retention of health and social services professionals, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Ministers discussed the multiple dimensions of poverty in the North, including food insecurity and Nutrition North Canada, and confirmed their support for the Provincial-Territorial Vision Statement on Poverty Reduction released by the Ministers Responsible for Social Services on July 31, 2018.
Our meeting on Monday was a great opportunity to share information and discuss ways to work towards achieving common goals and priorities. Strengthening the close relationship between the three territories and sharing our promising practices will help improve the well-being of all Northerners.
I am pleased to work with our territorial government partners to examine how we can improve health and social services outcomes for NWT residents, and collaborate with them to ensure new national initiatives by the federal government meet the needs of northerners.
As territorial health and social services Ministers, we remain dedicated to working together to improve health and wellness across the North. This week, we took important steps to strengthen relationships between the territories, to work co-operatively for the well-being of northerners.
Monday's meeting was a positive step in building a stronger partnership between our jurisdictions, to advance shared priorities to support children and families. This has been an excellent precursor to the broader provincial and territorial Ministers' meeting, and I look forward to continue my work in advocating to improve wellness outcomes for Nunavummiut.
Yukon
Janine Workman
Cabinet Communications
867-393-7449
[email protected]
Michael Edwards
Communications, Health and Social Services
867-667-8539
[email protected]
Northwest Territories
Charlotte Digness
Media and Communications Coordinator Cabinet Communications and Protocol
Government of the Northwest Territories
867-767-9140 ext. 11092
[email protected]
Nunavut
Nadine Purdy
Communications Manager, Department of Health
867-975-5712
[email protected]
Barb Tierney
Senior Policy Analyst, Department of Family Services
867-975-5206
[email protected]