A/HRC/15/37/Add.5 policies that have the effect of encouraging such closings or reduced educational opportunities for communities should be closely reviewed. 94. Several significant initiatives are in place to preserve and promote indigenous languages, although further efforts may be needed to address endangered or dying languages. Priority should be given to ensuring indigenous control over language preservation and development programmes. Health 95. Overall, the situation of indigenous health in Russia is precarious due to a number of historical factors. Government initiatives to address this situation should be strengthened, with mechanisms put in place to enable indigenous communities to participate fully in institutional decision-making regarding their health care. Indigenous representatives have indicated that federal and regional health-care programmes should ensure and provide more frequent regular medical brigades to visit remote areas for regular health checks and enable easier access when medical services are needed. The potential of new technology to provide solutions to some of the problems of accessing medical care should be examined and utilized. Alcoholism and the health consequences of environmental contamination should receive special attention. Both the revival of traditional medicine and the training of more indigenous doctors in mainstream medicine should be encouraged. 96. Special attention should be paid to the well-being of women and children, and more data should be collected on women’s and children’s specific health and social indicators during the next nationwide census (scheduled for 2014). 22 GE.10-14779