Wellesley Institute

Wellesley Institute works in research and policy to improve health and health equity in the GTA through action on the social determinants of health.

Home Blog Health systems and Health equity Addressing Health Disparities through Community Engagement

Bob Gardner

Addressing Health Disparities through Community Engagement

One precondition for successfully addressing health disparities is to build on local community-based initiatives and on the needs and perspectives of local residents. Incorporating the views, experience and priorities of residents, especially from the most disadvantaged and marginalized communities, into planning and resource allocation processes is vital to regional health planning and delivery that can effectively focus on health disparities. Diversity and equity-driven community engagement is one vital enabler of successful local and regional action on health equity.

Here are two interesting resources. The first is a recent handbook from CPRN (the Canadian Policy Research Network) on citizen engagement. It reviews several health examples, including the extensive community engagement strategy developed by Vancouver Coastal Health.

The British health research and knowledge exchange foundation NICE conducted a systematic review of the impact of community engagement on addressing social determinants of health in 2007.

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Bob Gardner

Bob Gardner

Bob Gardner was the Director of Policy at Wellesley Institute, 2006-2014. His expertise was in health equity policy working with governments, LHINs, service provider networks, and community partners to develop effective strategies and action plans to enhance health equity. He served on many health policy advisory forums, working groups and boards. Bob has a Ph.D. in sociology; has been an academic, public sector executive and consultant; and has been a community activist on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and other issues

Acknowledgement of Traditional Land

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.