E/CN.4/2005/88/Add.3 page 11 35. Most First Nations and Inuit live in small, dispersed communities (less than 1,000 people). Although 83 per cent have year-round road access, 18 per cent live in communities isolated from health services, whereas 20 per cent have inadequate water and sewer systems. Aboriginal social and economic indicators are gradually improving, even if the land claims process has not provided instant solutions to the long-standing problems associated with Aboriginal poverty. 36. A major problem confronting Aboriginal people concerns housing which, for First Nations, is principally the responsibility of INAC. RCAP reports that houses occupied by Aboriginal people are twice as likely to be in need of major repairs than those of other Canadians. On reserves, 13,400 homes need such repairs and 6,000 need outright replacement. Aboriginal homes are generally overcrowded, and are 90 times more likely than those of other Canadians to be without piped water. On reserves, more than 10,000 homes have no indoor plumbing. About one reserve community in four has a substandard water or sewage system. Approximately 55 per cent live in communities where half of the houses are inadequate. The Special Rapporteur visited several Pimicikamak communities in Manitoba and was able to observe first-hand the substandard conditions of the homes of numerous community members (deteriorated units, toxic mould, lack of heating and insulation, leakage of pipes, etc.). 37. On the other hand, some negotiated agreements between the Government and First Nations have provided resources for repairs and the building of adequate new homes. This is the case of Mistissini, a relatively well-to-do Cree community in Quebec also visited by the Special Rapporteur, which due to its unique situation received considerable transfer payments from the Government. Yet it is unlikely that the RCAP proposal for a commitment to ensure that Aboriginal housing needs are fully met within 10 years will be achieved at the current rate of housing renewal in Aboriginal communities. 38. In Nunavut, the existing social housing units are among the oldest, smallest and most crowded in Canada. There is a severe housing shortage in Nunavut that adversely affects the health of Inuit, in particular of children, and it is estimated that 3,500 new units are needed over the next five years. 39. The overall health of Inuit continues to lag far behind that of other Canadians. Life expectancy is 10 years lower than the rest of Canada. Many health indicators are getting worse. Arctic research shows that changes in traditional diets lead to increased health problems, particularly of mental health, characterized by increased rates of depression, seasonal affective disorder, anxiety and suicide. Inuit leaders are deeply concerned that the housing, education, health and suicide situation have reached crisis proportions and are not being addressed by the federal Government. 40. The health status of Aboriginal people in Canada has been described by RCAP as both a tragedy and a crisis. Health Canada reports that the gap in life expectancy between Registered Indians and other Canadians is 6.4 years. Illness of almost every kind occurs more often among Aboriginal people than among other Canadians. For example, the rate of tuberculosis is 6 times higher, that of heart disease 1.5 times higher and that of diabetes 4 times higher than among other Canadians. The high rate of diabetes, which was mentioned to the Special Rapporteur in many communities, is related to rapidly changing lifestyles and food habits of Aboriginal people within a short generational span. New AIDS cases are significantly more frequent among