The United States and Canada described a project for the surveillance of infectious diseases in the Arctic, noting the re-emergence of infectious diseases in the region. The surveillance project is a step towards control and prevention. A formal proposal is expected to be given to the SAOs at their April 2000 meeting in Fairbanks, Alaska for approval by the Ministers in at their October 2000 meeting. The United States gave a presentation on Occupational Health and Safety, particularly in relation to the fishing industry. The surveillance effort gathers data and helps monitor the effectiveness of interventions.
More work is needed, at both the national and international levels.
The Saami Council outlined a proposed workshop on health in the Arctic, particularly for indigenous communities. The workshop would help design a program to examine the health of Arctic residents, the availability of health services, and to make recommendations for human health issues with a focus on the Russian Federation. Canada emphasized the importance of health topics and urged the SDWG to think of priorities to avoid being spread too thin. The next meeting of the SDWG will be held in Fairbanks, Alaska, on April 26, 2000. The Chair urged delegations to consider whether more time should be allocated to SDWG meetings and whether they should continue to be held in conjunction with SAO meetings.