Too often, ACB communities are relegated to the role of research subjects rather than leaders in the health research space. ACB research leaders are underrepresented in decision-making processes that impact their communities. Barriers to successful academic-community partnerships include distrust, complex research methodologies, uncertainty among academic partners, and unclear decision-making protocols. Nevertheless, studies show that these partnerships are most successful when there is mutual understanding, trust, and a clear structure for collaboration. Well-established community-based organizations, financial investments, and co-learning opportunities further strengthen these partnerships.

One of the most critical aspects of addressing health inequities is the availability and access to data. Data shapes our world, guiding policy decisions and impacting everything from healthcare delivery to social services. However, data has also been historically manipulated to perpetuate harm. In particular, the collection and use of health data have long been tied to reinforcing systemic anti-Black racism. Historically, data was weaponized to justify slavery, violence, and oppression. Yet, when used appropriately, race-based data can be a powerful tool in dismantling these systems of inequality. By analyzing and understanding health disparities, race-based data can hold authorities accountable for improving health outcomes and eradicating systemic racism in health systems.

The need for Black Canadians to govern and control the data used in health research is more pressing than ever. Data governance in health allows communities to define the narrative, ensuring that research is conducted ethically, with the needs and aspirations of the community at the forefront. Effective Knowledge Mobilization (KM) initiatives, which bridge the gap between research and practice, require significant participation from both community and professional associations. These initiatives can only succeed with a robust organizational capacity for KM, yet much of the focus so far has been on research rather than the infrastructure required to support knowledge translation.

Building the capacity for Black Canadians to engage in and apply research is crucial to fostering equitable health outcomes. The effective use of data is one of the most important tools we have in addressing health inequities. By empowering Black Canadians in data governance, we can ensure that health research is not just a reflection of the needs of the community but a powerful mechanism for driving meaningful change.

Through increased representation, collaboration, and the strategic use of data, we can create a healthier and more equitable future for all Black Canadians. The time has come for ACB communities to take the lead in shaping the health research that impacts their lives.

The post Empowering Black Canadians in Health: Championing Data Governance to Address Inequities appeared first on CADHO.

Given the heightened risks faced by ACB women, it is critical to develop targeted interventions to address these challenges. Current Canadian guidelines recommend pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a key strategy for reducing HIV transmission, particularly for populations at higher risk, including Black women. However, uptake of PrEP among Black communities in Ontario remains low. To combat this, recent evidence highlights promising models such as community-based, peer-led HIV testing and self-testing, which have been shown to improve testing rates and facilitate access to care.

Despite these advancements, ACB communities still encounter numerous barriers to accessing health information and services. Issues such as low health literacy, limited socio-economic resources, stigma, and a lack of awareness about HIV status all deter help-seeking behaviors. These barriers are compounded for Black women, who face unique and systemic challenges in accessing appropriate HIV and healthcare services. While many of these challenges affect women in general, research confirms that ACB women experience disproportionate obstacles, particularly related to HIV care.

To address these gaps, the CO-CREATH lab at uOttawa, a key research partner of CADHO, has a new initiative that is conducting focus group discussions with Black women across Ontario to explore knowledge gaps related to HIV and healthcare. These discussions aim to identify the skills needed to better engage in the HIV/healthcare sectors and understand women’s preferences for learning strategies that can empower them to gain crucial knowledge and skills.

This project is also leading the development of a community-based, peer equity navigator program designed to improve access to HIV prevention and care for ACB women in Ontario by educating women in their communities. Building on the results of previous local research, the intervention emphasizes the importance of critical health and racial literacy—an approach that has proven effective in promoting health, particularly in the context of COVID-19 and co-morbidities like HIV. Peer-led programs, which engage individuals from within the community, are an especially effective strategy for reaching at-risk populations and ensuring that health messages resonate on a personal level.

Incorporating ACB communities in the development and implementation of health interventions is vital to reducing health inequities. The innovative, peer-led intervention being used in this project offers promising potential for informing both policy and practice related to HIV prevention and care for ACB women in Canada.

By empowering ACB women with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate HIV care, we can work together to break down the systemic barriers that perpetuate health disparities. This community-driven approach not only strengthens healthcare access but also fosters a sense of ownership and agency within the ACB community, contributing to long-term, sustainable improvements in health outcomes.

The post Addressing HIV Among Black Women in Canada: Empowering Communities with Knowledge and Care appeared first on CADHO.

Organizations such as the Canadians of African Descent Health Organization (CADHO) play a crucial role in this regard. Through programs and collaboration with Collaborative Critical Research for Equity and Transformation in Health (CO-CREATH) and AIDS Committee of Ottawa (ACO), CADHO has been able to raise awareness, educate, and call on communities to fight stigma and discrimination that has long plagued the Black community in Canada when it comes to HIV.

More recently, at the December 1, 2024 World AIDS Day event held at the AIDS Committee of Ottawa, the president of CADHO, Professor Josephine Etowa, said during her presentation that in Canada, there were an estimated 65,270 people living with HIV (PLHIV) in 2022, according to 2024 statistics from the Public Health Agency of Canada, and some progress towards the 95-95-95 UNAIDS targets is at 89 percent PLHIV diagnosed, 85 percent on treatment, and 95 percent had suppressed viral load.

Josephine Etowa, a full professor at the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, spoke at the World AIDS Day event, 2024, organized by the AIDS Committee of Ottawa.

Despite this progress, barriers still exist. These challenges, Prof. Etowa highlighted in her presentation, include social HIV stigma, racism, colonialism, criminalization and incarceration, homophobia, and transphobia affecting populations that are disproportionately impacted by HIV, including two-spirit people, gay and bisexual men, trans, queer, questioning, and non-binary people, people who inject drugs (PWID), and African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities and Indigenous communities” .

She said, according to a survey of ACB people and people who use drugs, that participants who attempted to access HIV testing, 40.5 percent and 49.5 percent, reported difficulties accessing the service, respectively.

Dr. Jason Brophy, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and researcher at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), spoke at the World AIDS Day event, 2024, organized by the AIDS Committee of Ottawa.

Etowa, who is also a full professor of nursing at the University of Ottawa, said that multiple historical and present-day factors, such as racism and other social determinants of health, are known to account for the disproportionate health risks and differential health outcomes experienced by ACB people in Canada.

She highlighted that these conditions have affected how ACB people live and maintain well-being while dealing with the burden of racism and how social determinants of health combine to amplify systemic threats to health, subsequently rendering ACB people vulnerable in terms of both their physical and mental health.

Giving a global perspective of what progress has been made, Dr. Jason Brophy, an infectious disease specialist at the Children’s Hospital Eastern Ontario (CHEO), during his presentation at ACO, said one of the many life-changing results in the fight against HIV globally is the manufacturing of Lenacapavir.

The executive director of UNAIDS, Dr. Winnie Byanyima, described the “miracle tool” as a feminist product for girls in Africa, empowering them to negotiate safe sex with a man without fear of HIV.

Dr. Jason Brophy, reeling out the latest statistics on HIV globally.

In his presentation, Dr. Brophy emphasized that in Sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls and young women account for three out of every four new infections. However, he highlighted that lenacapavir has revolutionized the HIV response, not only in Africa but globally as well.

He said assisted technology such as stem cell transplants has helped people living with HIV be free from the virus, with examples from a 50-year-old woman from France and a 60-year-old man from Germany.

Professor Etowa adds that the collection of race- and ethnicity-based information is a key element in recognizing and understanding health disparities and identifying the intersection of race with other social determinants of health, which can help provide a comprehensive portrait of Canada’s HIV and related health landscape and barriers to care.

Moreover, healthcare professionals often fail to recognize the unique needs of Black people living with HIV. From cultural competency training for medical staff to better outreach efforts from public health authorities, advocates are calling for greater attention to the intersection of race, stigma, and HIV care.

“We all have a responsibility to implement anti-racism policy and practices that are grounded in foundational social justice and equity principles and strategies,” Prof. Etowa adds.

As CADHO persists in its advocacy, it is evident that while the path ahead may present challenges, the community’s resilience and determination will play a crucial role in eliminating the stigma associated with HIV. Through awareness, education, and compassion, the stigma can be dismantled, and the Black community in Canada can take its rightful place in the ongoing conversation about HIV.

The post African Canadian Organization Advocates for HIV Awareness and Stigma Reduction in the Black Community appeared first on CADHO.

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