Supporting African Nova Scotians through COVID-19 Research

Dartmouth General Hospital continues to strive to protect patients, staff, and the public.

Currently, our COVID-19 Response Fund is supporting essential research examining the social and health inequities experienced by African Nova Scotians and how this impacts access to services and risk factors for infection. These projects have been made possible with generous support from Medavie, the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia, Wawanesa Insurance, RBC Foundation, Eli Lilly Canada, RCS Construction, TELUS Friendly Future Foundation, and the Province of Nova Scotia, in partnership with the Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage.

This research is part of the Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition. 

Funds raised will invest in the resilience of African Nova Scotian communities through three vital research studies:

Study 1: A Culturally Specific COVID-19 Response Strategy for African Nova Scotians in the Prestons

– Dr. Ingrid Waldron, Dr. Barb Hamilton-Hinch

This initiative will provide solution-oriented recommendations for how clinical services, health promotion, and the collection of disaggregated race-based health data can improve access to COVID-19 testing and health services, and reduce infections in the Prestons by identifying the social determinants that create exposure to and risk for COVID-19 infections and its exacerbation of current illnesses experienced by African Nova Scotians in the Prestons.

Study 2: Don’t Count Us Out!

– Dr. OmiSoore H. Dryden

Researchers will identify the determinants of trust that African Nova Scotians have with the COVID-19 pandemic strategy and response, and demonstrate how race-based data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic can establish foundational capacity to extend race-based analysis to other health and health care issues.

Study 3: Culturally Responsive Healthcare to Reduce Gender Based Violence

– Dr. Nancy Ross, Senator Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard

This study will determine how lessons from the impact of COVID-19 can inform social policy and healthcare measures to better respond to gender-based violence (GBV) within the African Nova Scotian communities and how health care systems can incorporate culturally appropriate programming, resources, and services to support better responses to GBV and other adverse childhood experiences in African Nova Scotian communities.

We recognize there is much work to be done and know these research studies will be imperative in understanding social and health inequities faced by black communities. In partnership with African Nova Scotians, we will work towards a healthier and more equitable community.

Read more at Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation