Introducing CircHOB

The Circumpolar Health Observatory (CircHOB) is an international collaborative health information system, involved in systematic, standardized, and consistent data collection and analysis. In addition to aggregating online and print resources, CircHOB is population-based, and produces data for all northern regions in all circumpolar countries.

CircHOB’s purpose is to monitor trends and patterns in health status, health determinants, and health care, provides qualitative and quantitative evidence for planning and evaluation of health programs and services. It is on-going and sustainable with periodic updates.

CircHOB is a project proposed by the Arctic Human Health Expert Group and authorized by the Arctic Council at its Senior Arctic Officials meeting in May 2010. In January 2011, CircHOB was also accepted as a Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks (SAON) task. Initial funding for CircHOB was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Health Canada.

Data Briefs

CircHOB has its origins in the 2008 Circumpolar Health Supplement entitled, “Circumpolar Health Indicators: Sources, Data and Maps.” Since the publication of that comprehensive monograph, CircHOB has begun producing periodic Data Briefs highlighting specific aspects of the data collection. These are published by the International Journal for Circumpolar Health, the flagship journal of the circumpolar health movement.

A Research Centre in the Canadian North