Established in 2005, the Thematic Network on Health and Well-being in the Arctic (TNHW) is one of the four founding UArctic Thematic Networks.
By Anna Reetta Rönkä, Vice-Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Health and Well-being in the Arctic,
Postdoctoral researcher, University of Oulu
Anastasia Emelyanova, Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Health and Wellbeing in the Arctic, Senior
researcher, University of Oulu
Christine Ingemann, Vice-Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Health and Well-being in the Arctic,
Postdoctoral researcher, University of Southern Denmark
Gert Mulvad, Vice-Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Health and Well-being in the Arctic,
MD PhD hc, Ilisimatusarfik / University of Greenland
In 2025, the network proudly celebrated its 20th anniversary. TNHW is a vibrant and growing network of around 40 members, representing 24 partner institutions with close to 100 subscribers on its newsletter. The network’s core mission is to increase the quantity and quality of research and education on Arctic health and well-being, build community capacity, and promote collaboration and networking. Arctic communities are facing unique health challenges, shaped by geography, triple planetary crisis, and cultural and societal transitions (Akearok & Larsen, 2025; Sonne,2024). TNHW’s research and education focuses on the health impacts related to climate change, pollution, and permafrost thaw, health of Indigenous Peoples, mental wellness, healthy ageing, maternal and child health, and demographic and social change, including the delivery of health and social services. TNHW has embraced One Health, a holistic perspective embedded in Indigenous worldviews, recognizing the deep interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health.
Building capacity through education
TNHW has organized education and training through summer and winter schools, workshops, and courses for Master’s and PhD students and professionals. Over 100 courses have been delivered. One of the network’s flagship initiatives was the two-year Master’s program on Circumpolar Health and Well-being (120 ECTS, 2005-2017), led by the University of Oulu in Finland, with six partner universities. More than twenty students graduated, two of whom now hold PhDs. In 2025, TNHW also had its first cohort in a new mentorship program together with partners and mentors from eight universities and institutions.
Impactful multidisciplinary research
Members of TNHW have played key roles in numerous high-impact research projects addressing critical Arctic health issues. These include ArcRisk, CLINF and CLINFGREEN, PARC, Sámi Reindeer Herders’ Health, EDCMET, Nunataryuk, ILLUQ, Arc- Solution, NORRUS-AGE, Nordic AHA Communities, and Inuit Health in Transition, among others. The CLINF project, co-led by TNHW member, professor Birgitta Evengård, investigated how climate change affects the geographic distribution and epidemiology of infectious diseases in humans and animals across the Nordic region and Russia. By compiling data of disease patterns, climate variables, and landscape features, CLINF was able to forecast the future spread of climate-sensitive infections and assess their societal impacts. One of its key outputs is the CLINF Geographic Information System, available at https://clinf.org/.
Role in policy processes
Leads of TNHW have been members of the Arctic Council’s Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Human Health subgroup as well as the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (the SDWG Arctic Human Health Expert Group). TNHW has used these opportunities for building collaboration with the Arctic Council. As an example, a health-focused ministerial meeting was collaboratively planned in Nuuk in 2011, with the outcome of the Arctic Health Declaration. TNHW members have also contributed to the Lancet Commission of Arctic Health which identifies key health and wellness challenges faced by Indigenous Peoples and develops a roadmap for improving health outcomes through community-driven approaches.
Collaboration, communication and youth engagement
Recently, the project Strengthening Arctic Health Networks through Partnerships and Mentorship (2023–2027, funded twice with UArctic project funding from the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, led by TNHW member, professor Christina VL Larsen) was launched to deepen collaboration across circumpolar health networks, develop the work of TNHW, and support emerging scholars in the field. The continuous efforts of TNHW reflect the ambition to build a platform for all those interested in health and well-being across the Arctic to promote meaningful collaboration.
References:
Akearok, G. H., & Larsen, C. V. L. (2025). One Health Gathering: Arctic Indigenous Peoples Voices and Perspectives. BMC Proceedings, 9(16)
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-025-00329-1
Sonne, C. (2024) Why the next pandemic could come from the Arctic - and what to do about it. Nature 633:10.
https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02830-7
More information and contact: www.uarctic.org/activities/thematic-networks/health-and-well-being-in-the-arctic/
Next International Congress of Circumpolar Health ICCH19 in 2027 in Alaska: www.americancircumpolar.org/
Photo: Mads Schmidt Rasmussen / Norden.org
UArctic Thematic Networks are independent and thematically focused networks of experts in specific areas of northern relevance. They collaborate in developing research, implementing educational activities, and strengthening knowledge exchange across the circumpolar region.
