Canadian North Helicobacter pylori Working Group
Mission Statement
The CANHelp Working Group links University of Alberta researchers with northern community leaders and northern health care providers in a collaborative effort to investigate H. pyloriinfection with the goal of finding solutions to community concerns about health risks from this infection.
Community ProjectsThe CANHelp Working Group began research in Aklavik, Northwest Territories in 2007 because of the high level of concern within the community about health risks from H. pylori infection and support for the research offered by the local health care centre. Since then we have been invited to conduct similar projects in diverse communities throughout the Northwest Territories and Yukon.View Our ProjectsLearn about H. pyloriH. pylori is short for Helicobacter pylori. It is the name of bacteria that infect the stomach. About half of the world population has chronic H. pylori infection, which irritates the stomach lining, causing gastritis. Most people with H. pylori infection don’t feel sick. Some get long-lasting stomach discomfort and a small percent get serious diseases like stomach ulcers, and much more rarely, stomach cancer. Click Here
CANHelp Working Group Goals
We use a community-driven research approach in northern communities to:
- Characterize the burden of disease from H. pylori infection
- Exchange knowledge between scientists and concerned community members and health care providers to work together to reduce health risks from this infection
Our research goals, based on the priorities of the participating communities and their health care providers, are to:
- Describe the disease burden and risk factors associated with H. pylori infection;
- Develop clinical management approaches to reduce health risks from H. pylori infection;
- Develop knowledge exchange strategies that help foster a greater understanding of health risks associated with H. pylori infection, as well as solutions and unsolved challenges for reducing these risks.