Local Collaborations to Advance Health Equity

Building broad local partnerships and collaborations among service providers, community agencies and residents is one vital part of driving health equity into action on the ground. I spoke to a tremendously interesting group coming together in the Jane-Humber area of north-west Toronto. I highlighted the experience and impact of the South East Toronto Organization, a community-based collaboration that has been working for over twenty years in south-east Toronto to address equity barriers, connect providers working in marginalized communities and address challenges such as access to dental service, non-insured people, homeless young moms, harm reduction and other fundamental equity issues (see an overview of South East Toronto Organization’s development and our review of comprehensive community initiatives). I also spoke to the overall potential of community level multi-sectoral collaboration and networks as one crucial ingredient in acting on health inequities.