Inequity

Why Peter Bryce’s legacy still matters today

Physician John O'Connor received an award honouring the legacy of Peter Bryce, a government doctor who sounded the alarm over the high death toll in residential schools. Who has the courage to be the next?

‘Equitable and free of barriers’: Canada’s first gold-level certified accessible clinic opens its doors

Canada now has its first medical clinic that is accessible enough to earn gold-level certification from the Rick Hansen Foundation. The Ability Clinic, which opened this August, is one of only 59 gold-certified spaces in Canada.

Extreme heat is here to stay. Canada must adapt.

The extreme heat wave that recently boiled Canada is just a preview of what the future holds in store. It's high time we began preparing for dangerous heat in the future. Here are some ways we can start.

Speed and flexibility: Pop-up clinics highlight advantages of learning health systems

The COVID vaccine rollout is a litmus test for the learning health system. It requires speed, well-working collaborations with community members and the ability to adjust on the fly as supplies and eligibility requirements change.

‘It’s hell for inmates in there’: COVID precautions in prisons are worsening mental health

COVID-19 precautions in prisons, such as extended lockdowns and reduced visits, are taking a serious toll on prisoners' mental health

When a city program is really just another pathway to eviction

The pandemic has intensified the suffering of homelessness. Rather than applauding Toronto's band-aid solutions, like the new program Pathway Inside, we must commit to affordable, permanent housing.

Equal is not equitable: moral distress in health care

The inequity of Ontario's vaccine rollout is causing moral distress and burnout among health-care providers. How can we change the health-care system to make it more equitable and sustainable?

Toronto doctor challenges Commons committee to prioritize ‘social recovery’

This pandemic, placed on top of the longstanding social pandemic, has created a "syndemic" – a synergistic pandemic – in which the spark of COVID has ignited a tinderbox of social inequity.

#Raiseyourvoice: An open letter to Ontarians from your doctors

To control the pandemic, more needs to be done immediately. You have seen the clips about hospitals in Italy and New York City last year: make no mistake, this is what we will soon face if we don’t make changes now.

Vaccine rollout ignoring needs of women

Will we use COVID-19 as an opportunity to take off the blindfold and tailor our vaccine strategies to the unique needs of each gender or will we continue to ignore the needs of women?

Rare inflammatory syndrome another example of pandemic’s disproportionate effect on racialized children

The pandemic is causing a rare, serious inflammatory syndrome that disproportionately affects racialized children in Toronto—reflecting larger racial and class-based inequities.

‘Painful and difficult’: A BIPOC woman’s journey in medicine

Navigating the medical profession has been a painful and difficult journey. How far have we come in ensuring that women can thrive within the system?

‘We reach them where they are:’ Mobile healing team delivers culturally based care

Jane Harrison is one of the unsung heroes of the pandemic who, along with her team at Anishnawbe Health Toronto, is caring for vulnerable communities in the Greater Toronto Area.

‘A tattoo for mom?’ Ageism Unmasked

Everyday, compassionate ageism doesn’t just feel bad, it’s bad for our health. And it can lead to terrible public policy.

Africa’s early success in fighting pandemic now at risk

COVID-19 cases in Africa have been increasing rapidly, imperiling its early successes in keeping the pandemic at bay and underscoring its need for the vaccines that it is having trouble procuring.

‘What does this mean for us?’ People with developmental disabilities left out of vaccination planning

As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out across Canada, people with developmental disabilities have been overlooked. Let’s change that by including them in our vaccination policies and practices now.

U.K. to base blood donation on behaviour, not stereotypes. Why not us?

Vaccine messaging must address grim history of race-based experiments

Menstruation is having its moment – Let’s turn it into a movement

Bringing ‘book-learning’ to life: Pandemic drives surge to forest schools