Health and development in the Hudson Bay/James Bay region

This paper reviews the literature on the health status of native people in the Hudson Bay/James Bay region of Canada, and explores the role of development in explaining discrepancies between observed and expected demographic and health trends. Relevant scientific literature was identified using computerised searches of bibliographic databases, as well as manual searches of selected journals and contact with experts. Although there was evidence that native people in Hudson Bay/James Bay have experienced significant improvements in health status, overall health status remains much worse than that of other Canadians. In many native communities, the prevalence and incidence of formerly infrequent chronic diseases have now surpassed those observed in non-native populations, and injuries, poisonings and violence are at epidemic levels. While these trends may be attributable to a variety of factors, environmental contamination and accompanying social, economic and cultural changes appear to play an important role.