Supporting Indigenous communities burdened with high rates of chronic diseases through PATHWAYS

Mehmood Alibhai
Director, Patient Access and Healthcare Policy, Boehringer Ingelheim, (Canada) Ltd

Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released a report in 2015 that identified 11 health and wellness disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations living in Canada, including dramatically reduced life expectancy and significantly higher rates of chronic diseases among Indigenous Peoples. The TRC’s report called us all to action in closing these gaps.

Indigenous communities in Canada are among the highest-risk populations for diabetes and related complications, respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, ongoing tuberculosis transmission and, in many cases, experience limited access to critical healthcare resources. 

Addressing disparities in Indigenous health and wellness has been an area of focus at Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. for the last five years. Our emphasis has been on addressing the lack of formal Indigenous health policy in Canada and in funding pharmaceutically agnostic health pilot projects as part of our PATHWAYS initiative—an Indigenous health collaboration that aims to close the gap in Indigenous healthcare disparities, improve health outcomes and advance general wellness through sustainable resources and programs. 

To address the lack of formal Indigenous health policy in Canada, Boehringer Ingelheim Canada engaged with Indigenous health policy leaders to develop an Indigenous health framework that guides PATHWAYS investments. The framework establishes terms of reference for collaborating with Indigenous Peoples to explore new approaches to health and wellness. Key focus areas include addressing the social determinants of health—to understand the underlying causes of chronic diseases—and leveraging traditional approaches to health and healing. It’s not just about transforming lives today, but for generations to come.

Using the framework as our guide, we then established an innovative health project fund to provide qualified Indigenous communities with access to resources for community-driven health and wellness pilot projects to address type 2 diabetes, COPD and/or interstitial lung disease. 

These community-driven pilot projects are based on the principles of nationhood with individual communities taking the lead in determining how they will address health care disparities and explore new approaches to providing care, or proactive prevention and education programs that work towards decreasing the incidence of life-altering diseases.

We believe effective healthcare strategies for Indigenous communities in Canada should be grounded in the specific social, cultural and health service contexts of their community that’s why we partner to co-create community-driven sustainable solutions. Supporting Indigenous community-led and developed models of care, the public and private sectors can play an active role in advancing health and wellness for some of Canada’s most vulnerable populations. 

Together, we can explore what’s possible and empower communities to work towards improved health outcomes.