N.S. Black health and wellness clinics aim to break down health inequities

Building on the success of COVID-19 vaccination clinics catering specifically to Black Nova Scotians, Public Health is now holding Black health and wellness clinics across the province that aim to break down longstanding racial health inequities.

Sharon Davis-Murdoch has been advocating for racial equity in health care for more than 20 years. She was a driving force behind the clinics.

She said health-care providers are learning to better serve Black patients through the project. The patients, in turn, are learning to trust a health-care system they may have previously avoided.

The clinics started in 2021 as COVID-19 vaccines rolled out.

"Who knew that we would have a pandemic and that that would move forward our long held interest and concern in culturally competent and culturally specific care," Davis-Murdoch said.

Now, the pop-up clinics offer vaccinations against COVID-19 and the flu, but public health nurses are also sharing resources on other health issues impacting the Black population. 

Dr. Ryan Sommers, a senior official with Nova Scotia Public Health, said public health nurses and health navigators at the clinics are equipped to field a wide variety of health concerns.

"They're talking about everything from cancer screening, talking about high blood pressure, diabetes. The goal is not just to be only with vaccines, but to … take a holistic approach to the health issues impacting the Black population."

He said the offerings can vary from clinic to clinic. There have been 12 of the pop-up clinics so far this fall, at locations across the province, and they'll continue throughout the winter.

Sommers acts as chair of a Black public health advisory committee, which is steering the clinics. He said input from members of the Black community on the committee has been an essential part of their success.

Davis-Murdoch is one of those committee members. 

With the clinics now well established, she said she's looking forward to having data to assess their impact on health outcomes.

Nova Scotia has started collecting race-based health data, but it is not yet being analyzed.

Davis-Murdoch said conversations are ongoing about how to manage the data appropriately.

"I am very pleased that we are here and I'm hopeful that we will get to a mutual understanding about data governance very shortly," she said.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.