Emerging Infectious Disease and Indigenous Peoples Health & Wellbeing
The focus is on understanding how the modelling approach needs to be different. Areas include: Health and non-health based factors influencing rate and spread of disease, mobilizing knowledge to inform, engage and empower Indigenous communities in decision-making around health and Indigenous-centered approaches to early detection, response & mitigation.
- This project comprises of research activities such as community-based participatory approaches, integrating transdisciplinary investigative methods informed by Indigenous research methodologies to establish the social determinants of health that impact the rate and spread of disease, including a focus on how these factors impact Indigenous peoples, and how this information can better inform disease modelling approaches. With unique social structures, independent healthcare systems and interactions with non-Indigenous communities, many current COVID-19 models lack the relevant dynamics and assumptions to be relevant to Indigenous communities. This project aims to build on community experiences to generate the necessary data and help inform the development of models that are relevant to Indigenous communities and can accurately aid pandemic policy and decision-making practices.
- Co-Project Investigators: Kerry Black (University of Calgary) and Sean Hillier (York University)