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The research team is led by (from left to right): Jim Sun (uOttawa, UBC), Jean Allan (Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.), Gonzalo Alvarez (The Ottawa Hospital, uOttawa) and Robert Delatolla (uOttawa).  ​

A groundbreaking research study is being launched in Iqaluit to explore wastewater monitoring as a tool to detect and prevent the spread of tuberculosis (TB) in Nunavut.  

The five-year research study aims to develop and optimize TB wastewater monitoring in the City of Iqaluit to determine if earlier detection of TB bacteria in wastewater can allow for earlier public health interventions to treat the disease and reduce transmission. 

This study builds upon the current TB program in Nunavut, complementing the effectiveness of TB diagnostic methods such as skin tests, sputum tests, and chest X-rays. While these methods continue to successfully identify TB, the new study aims to establish another layer of early detection to these existing strategies.

The study is led by researchers from The Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa, the University of British Columbia and partners from Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), under the guidance of the Taima TB Steering Committee. Taima TB was founded in 2011 by The Ottawa Hospital’s Research Institute, NTI and the Government of Nunavut’s (GN) Department of Health to conduct research to improve the prevention, detection and treatment of TB in Nunavut. 

​The study is funded through a $3 million grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research  (CIHR), as well as $500,000 from NTI. The collaboration between the founding partners, as well as the University of Ottawa, City of Iqaluit and the Uquutaq Society, is critical to the success of this study.​

The Taima TB research team hosted public events in Iqaluit from January 16 to 18, 2024. For more detailed information on TB, ongoing research efforts, and the Taima TB initiative, please visit taimatb.tunngavik.com.