February 16
My Mind is Made Up, Don't Confuse Me with the Facts: Understanding Digital Misinformation and Supporting Newcomer Communities during COVID-19 and Beyond
1 PM EST · English · 1 hour · Free
Even as Canada's vaccination rate against COVID-19 far outstrips the global average, some communities remain disproportionately under-vaccinated and subsequently vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection. Vaccine hesitancy is a major challenge in newcomer communities, but less discussed is how and why these hesitancy narratives take hold. Lisa Jane de Gara will discuss the power of disinformation, how it spreads, and how to confront these messages well.
Speaker:
Lisa Jane de Gara
Manager of Small Centres, Action for Healthy Communities
February 23
Dismantling Systemic Anti-Black Racism in Medicine in Canada
1 PM EST · English · 1 hour · Free
The COVID-19 pandemic has unmasked inequities that disproportionately impact ACB (African, Caribbean and Black) communities, including newcomers. Public Health data in Ontario revealed that these historically marginalized groups had a much greater number of positive COVID-19 cases. While the racial justice movement has raised awareness of healthcare inequities, many professionals and organizations struggle to understand how to create or be part of the change. In pursuit of finding solutions to problems in Canada’s healthcare systems, Dr. Kwadwo Kyermenteng created “Solving Healthcare with Kwadwo Kyeremanteng”, a series of podcasts that take an innovative approach to challenge the status quo and disrupt anti-Black racism in medicine.
Speaker:
Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng
Department Head of Critical Care at The Ottawa Hospital