The Aboriginal Health Initiative Program (AHIP) was launched in 2002 as a regional community based funding program to support and encourage Aboriginal communities to identify health promotion projects that are culturally meaningful to them. Successful projects include mechanisms to gather community input and ways to measure project outcomes. Aboriginal organizations and First Nations communities in the Vancouver Coastal Health region are invited to submit an application to AHIP funding as the first step in exploring the development and funding of community-based health promotion projects. Please contact us for more information about the funding cycle and application criteria. AHIP Supports Aboriginal communities and organizations to provide locally responsive health promotion and capacity building projects in the following 5 broad streams:
Access to Health Care Services: work with VCH, your community, and other agencies to develop innovative and interactive ways for Aboriginal people to access health services, by bringing health care to community or community to health care services.
1. Chronic or Infectious Disease Prevention: are illnesses that last for a long time with symptoms that can change over time and may have times of severe illness. Some examples are cancer, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, hypertension, lupus, emphysema. Infectious diseases are caused by a germ (virus or bacteria) that can be passed from person to person and makes people sick. Some Infectious Diseases are also chronic, such as AIDS/HIV and hepatitis.
2. Early Childhood Development: is a time of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual growth in Aboriginal children aged 0 to 6 years old. Some examples of making early childhood a healthy time is by supporting traditional parenting programs, father support groups, school readiness programs, mom/dad and tot programs, infant attachment, baby programs such as Mother Goose. Helping young parents learn from elders about traditional ways of parenting can help children feel connected to their community.
3. Local Community Food Security: happens when community members are able to have healthy, safe traditional foods that are easily accessible and sustainable. These are important features of food security for Aboriginal people, as over the years our diets have changed and many don’t rely on traditional foods, which were well balanced and healthy. Finding ways to bring back our cultural teachings about our traditional food sources will help support Local Food Security in our society today. One example of a food security project could be a community kitchen that focuses on communal cooking, skill building to promote healthy eating, menu planning, budgeting and food preparation.
4. Mental Wellness and Self-Esteem: refers to a person’s level of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual balance, feelings of well-being and ability to respond in positive ways when faced with life’s situations and challenges; ability to have meaningful relationships with family and feel good about oneself in those relationships. Having good mental wellness and self-esteem can help prevent addictions, depression and acts of suicide. Culturally appropriate mental health programming for Aboriginal people means acknowledging and understanding the many factors that influence and impact the well-being of Aboriginal people. Successful projects will incorporate traditional approaches to healing as an option and be holistic focusing on the expertise and knowledge of Indigenous people and practices.
