Taima

This month has marked the kick off of the Taima TB project in Iqaluit. Taima is the Inuktitut word for stop. Tuberculosis is a contagious lung disease that causes chronic coughs, fevers, weight loss and night sweats. Nunavut has a tuberculosis rate 62 times greater than the rest of Canada. About half of the cases seen in this territory were seen in Iqaluit last year. Thus, a health promotion project has been initiated involving education via social media, a community feast and an upcoming door-to-door campaign.

The disease is spread through the air by a person with active TB. The airborne droplets are inhaled and lead to an active or latent (sleeping) infection in the unsuspecting recipient. The crowded living conditions, alcohol use, poor nutrition and smoking in this territory compound the problem and increase the transmission of the disease.

As part of the initial health promotion for the campaign against TB, a community feast was held this week. The feast included a presentation about TB and the strategy Taima TB has to find and treat this disease. The feast included country foods like seal, caribou, arctic char, bannock, and Tim Horton’s donuts. (At least I think they were Tim Hortons).

Being a nurse, I’m all for health promotion activities. What makes me chuckle about this event is the fact that we have an contagious airborne disease and we’re getting everyone together in a small room to feast and breathe together.

Please pass the Mycobacterium tuberculosis…I mean, the salt. 

Actually, there was no salt to pass. All the meat was raw. After the initial rush for food, Darlene and I found pieces of cardboard and picked out our pieces of Arctic char and caribou. The seal had dissappeared quickly and we weren't too sure what to do with the caribou foreleg. Josh was happy to enjoy several types of bannock and leave the meat eating to us women.

The caribou tasted like a very tender cut of raw beef. It was very good and I would eat it again. The Arctic char was less appealing to me, raw. I am not a huge seafood fan, so the fishy taste and texture was not my favorite. The bannock was delicious (and cooked)! I'd say our first Inuit feast was a success. And in case you're wondering, Darlene and I did not get sick from eating the raw meat.

It was interesting to attend the TB feast because at the hospital I work with the TB patients undergoing their initial 2 week treatment. Also, we get asked quite a few questions about TB, so it is great to be able to teach them about what is happening in our community to treat it.

Taima TB Feast!

On the far left is seal, far right is Arctic char and the closest meat is caribou

Everyone dig in!

Caribou leg

Darlene and I enjoying our caribou

Dinner plate with char and bannock

5 TB facts

1. TB is treated here in Nunavut and is curable.
2. People who are sick with active TB disease can have chronic cough, weight loss, night sweats or fever.
3. You can infect other people if you have active TB disease in your lungs because TB spreads through the air.
4. If you are close with someone who has active TB disease, you can become infected with TB germs and develop sleeping TB infection.
5. People with sleeping TB infection are not contagious but should be treated with medication in Nunavut to prevent getting sick with active disease.