Arctic Indigenous communities and adjacent Indigenous peoples considered Northern or Circumpolar in distribution recognised the threat posed by COVID-19 to their communities. Despite inhabiting many of the world's most resourced countries, the health of Arctic Indigenous peoples lags behind their non-Indigenous counterparts across many indicators,1, 2 and many communities remember the devastating consequences of the 1918–19 influenza pandemic on their communities.3 Swift action by Arctic Indigenous leaders limited COVID-19 cases in many communities, protecting their vulnerable groups from the worst outcomes seen in some other Indigenous communities globally.4 The effectiveness of these early responses was shown in the initial low number of COVID-19 cases among Arctic Indigenous peoples4, 5 and highlights important lessons for other global regions. Yet there is an urgent need to address persistent health disparities in Arctic Indigenous communities.
