Wellesley Institute works in research and policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA through action on the social determinants of health.
November 14 is World Diabetes Day, an opportunity to reflect on how people living with diabetes can thrive and live a healthy, engaged life. Diabetes is one of the most common diseases in Ontario, and its prevalence is highest in individuals of South Asian origin and in Black populations. Sixteen per cent of South Asian-origin […]
Continue ReadingThinking beyond blood sugar: The role of social determinants in diabetes
Good data is important for decision-making. In Ontario, there has been growing discussion about collecting sociodemographic data about people to better understand the health inequities that can exist across groups of people. When this information is studied, it can help health system planners develop programs that address the inequities. It is important to consider carefully […]
Continue ReadingSociodemographic data for health Download PublicationBest practices to use sociodemographic data to improve access and outcomes of health services for equity-deserving populations
Primary care is a foundational part of the healthcare system. Yet many Ontarians lack a regular healthcare provider and there are inequities accessing primary care services, especially for racialized, low-income and 2SLBGTQ+ populations. This scoping review identified 68 peer-review studies that discussed 17 different barriers and enablers to primary care access for these populations. While […]
Continue ReadingBarriers and enablers to primary care access for equity-deserving populations in Ontario Download PublicationBarriers and Enablers to Primary Care Access for Equity-Deserving Populations in Ontario – A Scoping Review
Images of the drug toxicity crisis in Canada are harrowing. In 2023, an average of 22 people died every day from opioid toxicity. It’s a crisis that has captured the attention of Canadians, and almost everyone agrees something needs to be done. The Ontario government announced last month they would commit $378 million dollars over […]
Continue ReadingHealthcare for substance use is supported by evidence
This year’s proposed federal budget takes some important steps forward on issues that are crucial to population health and health equity. In particular, we acknowledge that the government proposes to increase its investments in affordable housing and ending homelessness and is introducing funding for the Canada Disability Benefit, which will provide assistance to low-income persons […]
Continue ReadingFederal Budget 2024: Positive steps, but still no targets
The recently approved City of Toronto budget, which nearly doubled funding to the Toronto Community Crisis Service (TCCS), is a welcome step to better support people experiencing crisis. TCCS is a non-police-led mental health crisis response that some consider the city’s fourth emergency service. Vulnerable people experiencing a mental health crisis too often face coercive […]
Wellesley Institute’s Pre-Budget Written Submission Canada has significant inequities in the social determinants of health, including housing, income, education, discrimination and access to health and social care. We also continue to see these inequities played out through the ongoing disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and long COVID on Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities, low-income […]
Continue ReadingFederal budget 2024: COVID highlights need for health equity
The Black Health Plan was developed jointly by Ontario Health, the Wellesley Institute and the Black Health Alliance as a call to action to reduce disparities and advance equity in Ontario. It provides a template to inform planning and action for other populations facing systemic disadvantages. The plan is built along three pillars: the development […]
Continue ReadingA Black Health Plan for Ontario Download PublicationA Black Health Plan for Ontario
In advance of last year’s provincial budget, we called for important, necessary public strategies to build a New Normal in Ontario. Our focus was around poverty, homelessness, race, healthcare, mental health and well-being, while leading the fight against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, we have not seen the progress we hoped to on those measures. […]
Canada’s federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments agree that we need to rebuild and improve our health systems. The dream of access to high quality comprehensive effective health systems is alive and well in Canada, but only for the minority. Today, timely preventative care, barrier-free access to necessary tests, short surgery wait times and after […]
Continue ReadingMoving forward on a national health data system
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.