Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Canada’s Health Systems Program – Program Overview

On this page

• Purpose
• Objectives
• Outcomes
• Status

Purpose

Health Canada established the Addressing Racism and Discrimination in Canada's Health Systems Program to foster health systems free from racism and discrimination. The program 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.

Objectives

These investments were 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 these objectives, program investments were made through 2 distinct streams of funding:

1. 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
2. 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

Outcomes

All funded projects contributed to and aligned 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.

Status

The program's contribution funding has been fully distributed. As such, the program is no longer accepting applications.

Learn more:

• Federal Pathway
• Canada's Anti-Racism Strategy
• Canada's Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence
• National Action Plan to End Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA People
• Indigenous Services Canada: Projects Addressing Anti-Indigenous Racism in Health Systems
• Indigenous Services Canada: Empowering Health Professionals Against Anti-Indigenous Racism in Health Systems