Wellesley Institute works in research and policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA through action on the social determinants of health.
Our current approach to medication, dental care, and extended health coverage is leaving low-income, working-age Canadians behind – in particular racialized, immigrant, and female workers who face significant barriers to good jobs with benefits. With government programs (of varying levels of adequacy) targeted primarily at seniors, children from low-income families, and adults receiving social assistance, […]
COVID-19 vaccinations reduce our risk of infection, hospitalization, and death. It is heartening that 85 per cent of Ontarians aged 12 and up (75 per cent of the population) have received their first dose. With rising case counts and the highly transmissible Delta variant gaining traction in Ontario, there is increased urgency to ensure as […]
Continue ReadingProof of vaccination in public settings: An equity lens
Wellesley Institute’s Thriving in the City research works towards a reality where all residents in the Greater Toronto Area have the resources to achieve a healthy life. Thriving means having resources to meet their physical, social, and psychological health needs now and in the future. It includes having resources to meet health needs related to […]
A range of strategies have been suggested to increase vaccination rates – from free donuts and lotteries to employment requirements and vaccine certificates. Wellesley Institute has conducted a rapid review of effectiveness evidence and an analysis of unintended impacts on equity-seeking groups of eleven strategies to determine which strategies could meaningfully increase vaccination rates and […]
Continue ReadingEncouraging vaccinations through equitable strategies Download PublicationEncouraging vaccinations though equitable strategies
The COVID-19 virus is clever. Most people who spread COVID-19 do not know that they have it. They have no symptoms at all, they are early in their illness and have mild symptoms, or they are getting better and do not know their illness was COVID-19. If we want to stop the spread, we have […]
The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in unprecedented job and benefits loss for workers, and its full effect on the economy still remains to be seen. Pharmacare is crucial not only for health and equity in Canada but may also hold promise for economic health. As we slowly move into a post-pandemic economy, the implementation of […]
Continue ReadingPharmacare: essential to our health and economy
Access to prescription medication often depends on where and how you work, rather than your need. Using the data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, we examined the size of the benefit gap between part-time and full-time workers and explored how disparities are greater for some workers in Ontario. We found that those who work […]
Continue ReadingWho Benefits? Gaps in Medication Coverage for Ontario Workers Download PublicationWho Benefits? Gaps in Medication Coverage for Ontario Workers
The federal government has spoken out against the “politics of cruelty” of the Ontario government’s reduction of workers’ rights. For Canadians and Ontarians who are tired of bickering politicians, this might just feel like another political fistfight. However, moving beyond the distraction of pre-election politics, we shouldn’t forget that protecting basic workers’ rights is a […]
Continue Reading(Not) Playing Politics: Workers’ Rights Matter for Health
As researchers, we often ask people to share their experiences through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. This think piece draws on existing literature to examine not only whether payment should be used, but how it should be used to ensure that research participants are compensated in a fair and inclusive way.
Continue ReadingConsiderations for Compensating Research Participants Fairly & Equitably Download PublicationFair compensation – Think Piece
Wellesley Institute conducted this survey to understand current payment practices among health researchers in the Greater Toronto Area with the aim of identifying good payment practices for equitable and ethical research.
Continue ReadingCompensating Research Participants: A Survey of Current Practices in Toronto Download PublicationFair compensation – Report
We wish to acknowledge this land on which the Wellesley Institute operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.
Revised by the Ceremonial Committee at the University of Toronto Office of Indigenous Initiatives in April 2021.