6. Equity Access: Community Health Research and Policy Challenges in Neighborhood Practice

SUMMARY

Organizers:

Wendy Kwong
Toronto Public Health
CANADA
wkwong@city.toronto.on.ca

Sherman Chan
Surrey Delta Immigrant Services Society
CANADA
sherman_chan@imag.net

Description:

Government and community health care services in many countries are facing significant challenges as a result of the linguistic and cultural diversity of the clients. Their policy directions are either ideological, or vague in strategies to achieve equity service. Policy makers, community health service providers lack the sensitivity, training, resources and support to serve immigrants and refugees. Immigrants and refugees are often faced with systemic barriers and deprived from receiving quality health care in urban centres.

This workshop will bring together government, NGOs, policy-makers, service providers and researchers to examine and identify the needs, challenges and benefits of collaboration in developing and planning both policy and service.

The workshop will utilize examples from various community health projects, analyze government policies and discuss the implications of international comparative research findings. The final presentation in the workshop will be the presentation of a best practice framework in creating opportunities, growth, access and equity for immigrants and refugees. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to identify the needs, the benefits and the challenges of all the various stakeholders collaborating in planning and developing the best combination of policy and service delivery model for community health for immigrants and refugees in their particular jurisdiction.

Presenters

Lillian Bayne, Health CANADA (co-chair)
Marc Bruijnzeels, Erasmus University Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS Paper
Sherman Chan, Surrey Delta Immigrant Services Society, CANADA (co-chair)
Jeffrey Fuller, University of South Australia, AUSTRALIA Paper
Neil Heywood, Citizenship and Immigration CANADA
Collin Tukuitonga, University of Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
Dean Wilson, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, CANADA Paper