"Seizing the Opportunity: Child Health Equity Research in Post-Pandemic Recovery"
Our inaugural Symposium "Seizing the Opportunity: Child Health Equity Research in Post-Pandemic Recovery" took place in Toronto on November 18, 2022. It gathered leading Canadian and international academics and policymakers to discuss the role that research should play in addressing equity in children’s health outcomes in an era of pandemic recovery.
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children welcomed guests including: First Nations Child and Family Caring Society Executive Director Dr. Cindy Blackstock; Bradford Institute for Health Research Director John Wright; Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Child and Family Engagement in Health Research and Healthcare Professor Roberta Woodgate; the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Director for Population Health Sharon Goldfeld; and Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiyag Child and Family Services Executive Director Amber Crowe.
Our day of conversation and learning included:
Equitable implementation of policies and programs in post-pandemic recovery
Guidance relevant to equitable sampling of participants in biomedical research
Engaging youth in participatory research and evaluation
Building effective collaborations between academics and implementing agencies
Advancing health equity in large-scale cohort studies
Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO of The Hospital for Sick Children, reflected on the founding of the Centre.
Drs. Astrid Guttmann and Eyal Cohen, Co-Directors of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children, highlighted the priorities of the Centre and its role in addressing widening inequities for children.
Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director, First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, spoke on the rights of First Nations children and need for advancing culturally-based, equitable solutions.
Post-Pandemic Recovery: Experiences Across Jurisdictions
This panel discussed the lessons from various jurisdictions about implementing successful, and equitable policies and programs to improve child and youth well-being in post-pandemic recovery.
Moderator: Reporter Wyatt Sharpe, Anchor and Host of The Wyatt Sharpe Show
These speakers discussed why community engagement with youth matters; how to plan and design the process; and lessons learned from their community engagement initiatives.
Moderators: Drs. Samantha Anthony, Health Clinician Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children; and Priscilla Medeiros, Knowledge Mobilization Specialist at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children.
Bridging Research Gaps Through Impactful Partnerships
These speakers discussed the power of research partnerships between academics and implementing agencies, such as government, NGOs, and coalitions; and how its impact can result in changes to policy.
Moderators: Dr. Patricia O’Campo, Executive Director at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Population Health Interventions; and Antonia Antonopoulos, Research Program Manager at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Children.
