FAQ

Qanuippitaa? means “How are we?” in Inuktitut. The name and spelling were chosen for the first ever Inuit health survey that was conducted in Nunavik in 2004. It was also subsequently chosen by ITK when it launched the national survey in 2019.

The QNIHS is a survey by and for Inuit and is the only Inuit-led health survey to date that includes Inuit of all ages from all communities across Canada’s four Inuit regions. The QNIHS is to help improve the health and social well-being of Inuit in Canada by influencing Inuit health and social development policies and programs through the collection of high-quality data that is statistically sound and relevant to Nunavut and Inuit.

The Nunavut component of the Qanuippitaa? National Inuit Health Survey (QNIHS) is a collaborative effort between Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) and the Government of Nunavut (GN). This branch of the survey is being led by the Nunavut Inuit Health Survey Steering Committee that includes representatives from NTI and GN’s Department of Health.

An Inuit Health Survey Advisory Committee, which includes various representatives at the community, regional, and territorial level, provide important guidance to the Nunavut Qanuippitaa? Steering Committee to develop and implement the survey. These committees ensure that all the decisions for the survey are owned by and in the best interest of Nunavut Inuit.

The Nunavut Qanuippitaa? Steering Committee ensures that the survey will cover all the health topics that are important to Inuit in Nunavut, in a way that respects Inuit culture and values.

The Qanuippitaa? National Inuit Health Survey Working Group (NIHSWG) fits into a broader structure of Inuit Governance. The NIHSWG is a sub-committee of the National Inuit Committee on Health (NICoH) under Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK). NICoH provides technical guidance and recommendations related to national Inuit health care review, reform, and policy development to the ITK Board of Directors.

For more information visit Governance and Team.

Inuit are asked to take part in many surveys. Some are carried out by the federal government, universities, and others. Most surveys are not developed by Inuit. The questions asked are not always relevant to Inuit and do not focus on our priorities. The QNIHS questions will reflect the feedback received from discussions with Inuit on our health priorities.

All of the information will be controlled by Inuit. In addition, one of the goals of the survey is to provide training and resources to help develop the skills required by Inuit to conduct our own surveys on a regular, ongoing basis. This helps ensure that Inuit have greater control over research and that survey and research-related expertise, and jobs stay in Inuit communities.