Local public heath officials are collecting race-based data to better identify the health inequities associated with race.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health points out that acts of brutality towards Black and Indigenous people in Canada demonstrate that this country is not immune to systemic racism.
The health unit has developed an internal anti-racism working group to review its own internal policies and practices.
The group will launch a web page and collect race-based data to help identify health inequities related to race.
Dr Ethan Toumishey, completing specialty training in public health locally, told Quinte News on Tuesday the collection of race-based data will help identify the heath inequities.
“To have the data to describe these inequities is going to be empowering for the solution that will be developed to address these problems.”
Last summer, HPEPH made a commitment to undertake the following steps:
Develop an internal anti-racism working group to review internal policies and practices. The group will include members of the organization from various levels and departments.
- Launch a web page to improve awareness of the impacts of the social determinants of health related to race. This resource will provide residents of our communities with an opportunity to learn more about these important issues.
- Provide education to their own staff to reject racism, and direct them to appropriate public health-related resources for use in their practice.
- Strive to collect race-based data in order to better identify and understand health inequities related to race.
COVID-19 has delayed some of the work but officials say collection of race-based data and training of staff has been ongoing.
