“We hold up the many dedicated data collectors, field supervisors, coordinators and community champions who worked tirelessly to ensure that First Nations voices were heard.” (Survey Team Meeting Members)
First Nations Regional Health Surveys • First Nations Early Childhood, Education and Employment Surveys
First Nations Health Survey
The First Nations Regional Health Survey is a part of a national health survey conducted by and for First Nations. It captures a snapshot of the health and wellness of First Nations peoples living in community across Canada. The FNHA is responsible for gathering and sharing the knowledge from the survey in BC on behalf of First Nations in BC. The survey is unique because of the way in which it has integrated First Nations approaches. Some examples of this are:
- consent to participate in the survey must first come from community leadership
- the survey was mandated by the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs in 1996, meaning that this is a survey asked for by First Nations
- collection of data is driven by champions in community like Councilors and Health Directors
- community members are hired to support data collection, creating opportunities within communities
For the first time ever, regional-level reports will be returned to communities in addition to a provincial-level report. This is exciting because it has allowed the FNHA to make the results more relevant to each region and reach more people and communities than ever before.
Three phases of the survey have been conducted with First Nations in BC: Phase One (2002– 2003), Phase Two (2008–2010) and Phase Three (2015–2017). The FNHA has also committed to Phase Four, with data collection planned for 2023.
- Phase One: Healthy Children, Healthy Families, Healthy Communities – Full Report
- Phase Two: Healthy Children, Healthy Families, Healthy Communities – Full Report – Summary Findings
- Phase Three: First Nations Regional Health Survey – Provincial Report • Northern Region Report • Fraser Salish Region Report • Interior Region Report • Vancouver Coastal Region Report • Vancouver Island Region Report
- Phase Four: Regional Health Survey – RHS Four Fact Sheet • RHS Four FAQs
More Information
- For more information about the national survey, visit our partner the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC).
- Are you from a First Nation in BC and interested in accessing data from the RHS? We can support you! Reach us at: RHS@FNHA.ca
- For more information about the data process, visit From Data Collection to Reporting: The Data Process.