Scholars from the University of Toronto and Dalhousie University have announced the launch of a new set of online courses focusing on Black health and anti-Black racism within the Canadian health-care system. This initiative represents a significant advancement towards achieving equitable care for Black Canadians.
The Black Health Primer was developed in response to evident gaps in education and training regarding Black health and anti-Black racism in the fields of medicine and public health. The courses were designed by Onye Nnorom, an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Sume Ndumbe-Eyoh, also an assistant professor at Dalla Lana, and OmiSoore Dryden, the James R. Johnston Chair in Black Canadian Studies at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine.
Targeted at students, faculty, educators, and healthcare practitioners, these courses aim to enhance professional development across health-related institutions and organizations. Developed by the Black Health Education Collaborative (BHEC)—a coalition of Black scholars and practitioners—the initiative seeks to address and rectify the health and social inequities that Black Canadians face, which are rooted in systemic anti-Black racism.
Nnorom, who co-founded BHEC with Dryden, emphasized the need for education on the issues Black communities encounter daily and the stereotypes they face in health care. The courses are designed to support the unlearning of racism and promote racially just practices, thereby improving the overall quality of care for Black Canadians.
The BHEC, with backing from Dalla Lana, Temerty Medicine, and Dalhousie University, will officially launch the Black Health Primer on March 21—coinciding with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination—during an online event titled “Why Anti-Racist Healthcare Matters.”
Ndumbe-Eyoh, BHEC’s executive director, underscored that the lack of training on anti-Black racism among healthcare professionals contributes to inadequate care for Black patients. The hope is that this training will inspire medical students, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals to provide more informed and equitable care.
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