Yellowknife (Feb 11/05) - The national health care system needs to be more responsive to the needs of aboriginal Canadians, according to a report released last week.

"The health of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people is worse than that of the general population on virtually every measure of health," reads a statement from the Health Council of Canada.

The council was created in 2003 after former Saskatchewan Premier Roy Romanow released a massive report on the future of health care in the country. It is a federally-funded body charged with overseeing reforms to the medical system, many of which were outlined in the Romanow Report.

The council recommended several changes to medical care in the country, including training aboriginal health workers and incorporating traditional knowledge into current medical practices.

"There is an acute shortage of aboriginal health professionals and a concerted effort is required to encourage aboriginal youth to consider health careers," the report said.Dave Murray, the deputy minister of Health and Social Services for the territorial government, agreed with the recommendation. He said the department encourages home-grown medical talent through programs like the one at Aurora College, which is expected to graduate between 20 and 25 nurses this year.

The council recommended using new technologies to deliver health care in remote communities, an initiative that is already underway in the territory, Murray said.

The government launched a phone service last year providing residents with 24-hour access to medical information. It's called Telehealth.

Murray said officials would like to expand the system to include the digital transfer of things like X-rays from remote communities to Yellowknife.

"It would be much faster than putting it on a plane," he said. "You could know the results in hours."

The health council is focusing on aboriginal issues after a series of studies showed they lag behind the rest of the population in several important health categories.

Aboriginal men living off-reserve can expect to live four years fewer than their non-aboriginal counterparts.

That number jumps to a staggering nine years less for aboriginal men living on reserves. Infant mortality rates in First Nations communities are 50 per cent higher than the rest of Canada. Those communities also have suicide rates several times higher than the national average and a higher incidence of diseases like diabetes and tuberculosis.

Murray said all residents of the territory - not just aboriginal groups - need to start making better decisions when it comes to their health.

"Studies show we smoke too much, we drink too much, we eat things we aren't supposed to and we don't exercise enough."