Health and social services ministers from the three territories met Monday to discuss ways to improve outcomes in health and social services across the North.

The session was held in advance of the meeting in Halifax of provincial and territorial ministers responsible for social services.

Attending the northern ministers’ meeting were Glen Abernethy, the N.W.T. minister of Health and Social Services; Nunavut Health Minister Pat Angnakak; Elisapee Sheutiapik, Nunavut’s minister of Family Services; and Pauline Frost, the Yukon’s minister of Health and Social Services.

The ministers discussed ways to strengthen working relationships among the territories, and looked at developing common approaches to northern health and social services initiatives, said a statement the three governments released Wednesday.

Discussions also touched on Indigenous children and youth in care, recruitment and retention of health and social services professionals, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

The ministers also discussed the multiple dimensions of poverty in the North, which included food insecurity and Nutrition North Canada.

The ministers confirmed their support for the Provincial-Territorial Vision Statement on Poverty Reduction released Tuesday by the ministers responsible for social services.

“Our meeting on Monday was a great opportunity to share information and discuss ways to work towards achieving common goals and priorities,” said Frost.

“Strengthening the close relationship between the three territories and sharing our promising practices will help improve the well-being of all northerners.”

Abernethy said he is “pleased to work with our territorial government partners to examine how we can improve health and social services outcomes for N.W.T. residents, and collaborate with them to ensure new national initiatives by the federal government meet the needs of northerners.”

Angnakak said the ministers “remain dedicated to working together to improve health and wellness across the North.

“This week, we took important steps to strengthen relationships between the territories, to work co-operatively for the well-being of northerners.”

Sheutiapik called Monday’s meeting “a positive step in building a stronger partnership between our jurisdictions, to advance shared priorities to support children and families.

“This has been an excellent precursor to the broader provincial and territorial ministers’ meeting, and I look forward to continue my work in advocating to improve wellness outcomes for Nunavummiut.”