Limited resources and a population spread out across a large land base are among the many unique issues facing health care providers in the North.

Over the next two days, health care officials across the region, and a few from South of 60, are gathering at the High Country Inn for the Public Health North of 60 meeting. They'll discuss their challenges as well as look at some of the issues from around the world impacting the North.

'We're learning to practise health (care) without borders,' Maxine Hayes, a state health officer for the Washington State Department of Health, told reporters Wednesday afternoon shortly after arriving in Whitehorse.

Any public health issue could potentially have an impact everywhere in the world, she said, pointing to the bird flu as an example.

This morning, Hayes was scheduled to give a presentation called Plain Talk about Bird Flu The Coming Pandemic to the estimated dozen people in town for the meeting. The working sessions are closed to the media.

If it's not the bird flu which causes the next flu pandemic, preparations are still necessary because there are many other threats, Hayes said.

'We know the threat of it is changing,' she said.

The media attention around the bird flu has given health officials the opportunity to make people more aware of the illness. That includes the regular seasonal flu, which is different from a pandemic flu.

'What Mother said was right; we need to wash our hands,' said Hayes, adding there's still a problem persuading people to get a flu vaccine every year.

While the vaccine is available, less than 50 per cent of people (in the U.S.) get the shot, she said, noting there are about 36,000 deaths from seasonal flu in the U.S. each year.

Hayes also pointed to the 'tremendous need' for industrialized countries to encourage developing countries to improve the health standards around domestic animals.

The bird flu started in southeast Asia when domestic poultry (which can be found roaming in backyards) contracted the flu virus from wild waterfowl, which had the virus. The virus had no impact on the wild birds, but became a problem in domestic birds.

Birds aren't the only health concern, especially in the North.

As officials around the world continue to keep an eye on that more-global issue, health officials in the North are also dealing with health problems that can be contracted when eating meat like caribou or walrus, among others, said Andre Corriveau, chief medical health officer in the Northwest Territories.

In speaking to reporters at the press conference, shortly after his arrival as well, Corriveau noted the importance of the Public Health North of 60 organization.

'We need to manage differently than the rest of Canada,' he said.

The North presents unique challenges in dealing with things like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

The meeting provides an opportunity to look at how other regions are dealing with northern issues and to perhaps join one another to provide a stronger voice so they can get projects.

Often, said Bryce Larke, the Yukon's medical health officer, the three territories (along with first nations citizens on reserves and jail inmates) are left out of health studies because of their small populations.

'There are very valid statistical reasons,' said Larke.

But not having those statistics means the territories have to look at other ways to get information they might want to determine where they'll focus their attention on programming.

By working together, said Corriveau, the territories can bring a message to organizations to get the funding for things like a study on smoking that is currently happening in the N.W.T.

Though the territories may not benefit from some of the more national work underway, there are some advantages to the region.

Corriveau said he and other health officials in the N.W.T. are closely watching the Yukon's pilot project on FASD.

In part, due to the small population of the territory, the Yukon was able to test the first stool of each newborn in the territory to get an idea of how many mothers drank alcohol during the last 14 weeks of pregnancy. That may act as an indicator in the number of people who could be affected by FASD.

Corriveau noted the N.W.T. is continuing its work on its anti-smoking campaign aimed at youth called Don't Be A Butthead as it also partners with Nunavut on another youth campaign call Drop the Pop aimed at promoting healthier eating.

It's those kind of projects officials across the North will discuss over the next two days.

'We want to share,' said Corriveau.

Also on the agenda are issues ranging from environmental health to indoor mould to an update on the International Circumpolar Surveillance Program.

This marks the second such meeting since the first one was held last year in Iqaluit.