Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Canada’s Health Systems Program – What we do
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Purpose
Health Canada established the Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Canada's Health Systems Program to foster health systems free from racism and discrimination. It also advances Health Canada's mandate to help everyone in Canada maintain and improve their health through high-quality, efficient and accessible health services and by reducing health inequities.
The program provides contribution funding for time-limited projects that address systemic racism and discrimination in Canada's health systems. Projects must be informed by the lived experiences of Indigenous, racialized and marginalized communities.
Objectives
These investments are meant to:
- ensure that people living in Canada have access to appropriate, effective and culturally sensitive health services
- improve the health of racialized and marginalized populations
To achieve its objectives, program investments are made through 2 distinct streams of funding:
- Project stream:
- improve the safety, accessibility, equity, quality, sustainability and accountability of Canada's health systems
- investments made in community-supported systems-level projects that address racism and discrimination perpetrated against racialized and/or marginalized populations
- Engagement stream:
- maintain strong and effective publicly funded health systems
- investments made to build capacity within racialized and/or marginalized communities and organizations that serve racialized and/or marginalized populations to help them achieve their health priorities
Expected outcomes
All funded projects must contribute to and align with the program's stated outcomes, which are that health system partners:
- have increased capacity to create culturally safe and inclusive health services for racialized and marginalized communities
- apply knowledge to create culturally safe and inclusive health services for racialized and marginalized communities
- provide inclusive and culturally safe services to racialized and marginalized populations
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting culturally appropriate, safe, equitable and inclusive health services. It has also pledged to address systemic racism in a way that is informed by the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities. The program advances this commitment and pledge.
The program was announced as a part of the federal government's contribution to address violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA People. It also supports broader federal efforts to prevent racism and address gender-based violence.
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