35 years of ICCH: evolution or stagnation of circumpolar health research?

The first Circumpolar Health symposium took place in Fairbanks in 1967. Approximately every three years since, an increasing number of researchers have met to present and discuss the health conditions of the North. We analysed the proceedings from the 11 congresses and the abstracts from the 12th congress in 2003 and found a shift of focus from biology to sociology of health. Today, circumpolar health research is primarily focused on three major topics: 1. epidemiology of indigenous peoples of the North; 2. health care delivery in the North; and 3. the effect of physical factors on human physiology and health. Despite the diverse research interests, it is remarkable how a community of circumpolar scientists and practitioners has emerged over the past 35 years.