Encouraging vaccine confidence through community-led initiatives by the Federation of Black Canadians and the Black Physicians' Association of Ontario

SCARBOROUGH, ON, April 21, 2023 /CNW/ - The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) recognizes that community-driven initiatives are fundamental to fostering confidence in vaccination.  As such, PHAC has partnered with community organizations to support increased access to credible and culturally appropriate information and education on vaccines, helping individuals make informed vaccination choices for themselves and their families.

Today, Shaun Chen, Member of Parliament for Scarborough North, on behalf of The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, announced that PHAC invested over $286,000 in projects led by the Black Physicians' Association of Ontario and the Federation of Black Canadians. Delivered through the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF), these projects helped eliminate barriers to vaccination and build vaccine confidence in Black communities, disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Black Physicians' Association of Ontario ─ or BPAO ─ received just over $186,000 to deliver its project, the Black Health and Well-being Initiative.

This project supported the health needs of Black communities in Ontario by addressing disparities in access to vaccine information and education. BPAO also played an important role in improving their experiences, including through preventative screening initiatives and with culturally safe services, advice, resources, and recommendations. The BPAO has:

• provided 326 health clinics across the province and administered over 75,600 doses (and counting) across municipalities in Ontario, including Toronto, Peel, Windsor-Essex, Ottawa and Durham;
• strengthened confidence and trust for health in the Black community, with a focus on advocacy for better care for Black patients, for the collection of race-based data in healthcare, and for the development of a Black health strategy for COVID-19; and
• launched Black Health Talks, a patient-focused online health seminar series.

The Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) received $100,000 to deliver its project, COVID-19 Conversations with the Black Community.

This initiative helped sustain and strengthen vaccine confidence and promote COVID-19 booster uptake within Black communities by countering vaccine-related misinformation, empowering communities to lead regionally adapted approaches, disseminating findings from Black-led COVID-19 vaccine research and developing a national digital information campaign. The FBC has:

• combatted vaccine hesitancy and misinformation through various national online campaigns, including interactive vaccine health trivia and vaccine center mapping tools via social media;
• empowered youth groups to hold their sessions with their peers and community members to counter vaccine-related misinformation; and
• convened over 70 Black-led groups and individuals in national forums to share and increase vaccine confidence and provide counters to misinformation.

The IPF is a key component of the Government of Canada's approach to advance population health protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, support vaccine equity, and improve vaccine uptake and access through public outreach and community mobilization.

Quotes

"The Immunization Partnership Fund supports initiatives that help individuals make informed decisions about vaccination and their health. The Federation of Black Canadians and the Black Physicians' Association of Ontario provide valuable vaccine information and education, helping to support vaccine equity and confidence at the individual and community level."

Shaun Chen
Member of Parliament, Scarborough North

"The Federation of Black Canadians and the Black Physicians' Association of Ontario have been  important partners in our fight against COVID-19. As a result of their responsive and culturally adapted efforts, more Black communities had access to credible vaccine information and education resources to help them protect themselves and loved ones. These community-based initiatives, along with other projects supported through the Immunization Partnership Fund, have and will continue to help people make informed vaccine decisions."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Health

"These community projects help people to make informed COVID-19 vaccination decisions. By increasing vaccine confidence, these initiatives work to protect the health of individuals and our healthcare system."

Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer
Public Health Agency of Canada

"The Black Physicians' Association of Ontario's Black Health and Well-being Initiative, in collaboration with Black Health Alliance, have administered over 75,600 doses (and counting) across municipalities in Ontario, including Toronto, Peel, Windsor-Essex, Ottawa and Durham. The BPAO has provided 326 health clinics across the province. Confidence and trust for health in the Black community continues to grow through such work, with a focus on advocacy for better care for Black patients, for the collection of race-based data in healthcare, for the development of a Black health strategy for COVID-19, and more. In January 2023 the BPAO launched Black Health Talks, a patient-focused online health seminar series, with the first session focused on hypertension. Other topics, including women's wellness and healthy relationships and healthy boundaries, women's health and preventative health screening will be featured throughout 2023."

Chenai Kadungure, Executive Director
Black Physicians' Association of Ontario

"The Federation of Black Canadians' COVID-19 Conversations with the Black Community project has identified that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on marginalized groups such as the Black Community. In addition, misinformation and vaccine hesitancy has also caused alarm and skepticism within the community. With access to funding from the Immunization Partnership Fund, the Federation of Black Canadians has been able to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation by using the resources to develop various national online campaigns, including interactive vaccine health trivia, vaccine center mapping tools via social media and convening national calls with trusted Black community leaders as well as empowering smaller youth groups to hold their own community forums to counter vaccine-related misinformation and promoted vaccination confidence."

Christopher Thompson, Executive Director
Federation of Black Canadians

Quick Facts

• Launched in 2016, the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) is a key element of the Public Health Agency of Canada's vaccination initiatives. The IPF is an important lever to identify and help address gaps in vaccine acceptance and uptake and to empower people in Canada to make informed vaccine decisions.
• In 2020 and 2021, as part of Canada's COVID-19 vaccination efforts, the Government of Canada invested $45.5 million for projects to support COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and uptake.
• In 2022, an additional $3,894,545 in funding was announced to provide continued support to 9 existing IPF projects.
• Vaccination is, and will continue to be, a critical public health measure. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that everyone stay up-to-date on their vaccinations. This includes staying up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccinations, as recommended to you by your local public health authority.

Associated Links

Vaccination and Immunization
Immunization Partnership Fund
Canada.ca/Coronavirus

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

Contacts: Guillaume Bertrand, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations: Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709