# Striving for social justice through action on health equity
**Source**: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/about/cumming-school-medicine/our-priorities/striving-social-justice-through-action-health-equity
**Parent**: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/
### As a community, we are committed to [social justice](https://sdgs.un.org/statements/message-world-day-social-justice-10379#:~:text=Social%20justice%20is%20based%20on,life%2C%20including%20in%20the%20workplace.). Our work will drive progress on the [social and environmental determinants of health](https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1).
### Objectives
1. Improve health outcomes for all
2. Develop Anti-racism, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) initiatives to create sense of belonging for all
3. Commitment to improvement in Black health, innovation and recognition of Black excellence
### Principles
- Lead anti-racism and anti-oppression
- Innovate and implement EDIA strategies
- Improve rural access to care
- Understand the effect of climate change on health
## Strategies
### **1. Consolidate health equity strategies through Health Equity Hub in O’Brien Institute for Public Health**
- Translate research in health equity, social and environmental determinants of health to change social and health policy
- Study how to embed anti-racism, anti-oppression and EDIA in outward-facing CSM initiatives
- Sustain and expand health and UCalgary relationships and respond to community priorities
- Build capacity to recruit, support and retain learners and faculty working in social and environmental determinants of health
- Develop relationships with decision and policy makers and politicians to implement evidence-based changes
- Implement and evaluate a learning health system approach to improve the quality and safety of health care for new immigrants
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### **2. Develop an EDIA action plan accountable to a Strategic EDIA Council**
- Identify and support leads in Indigenous health, Black health, immigrant and refugee health, disability and health, 2SLGBTQIA+ health, women’s health and other equity deserving groups
- Create and support an EDIA research and scholarship team
- Establish grants and awards for researchers working in EDIA
- Provide support for EDIA curricular review and development across all CSM learning programs
- Initiate a reconciliation process that centers people and community
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### **3. Implement commitments of the** [**Scarborough Charter**](https://www.ucalgary.ca/equity-diversity-inclusion/edi-research-and-teaching/scarborough-charter-anti-black-racism-and-black-inclusion)
- Develop and evaluate a program that addresses racism and discrimination in Canada’s health systems, using a participatory approach that involves racialized and marginalized communities, health system partners, and other partners
- Compare the health status, health behaviours, health service use, costs and outcomes of racialized and non-racialized populations in Alberta. Use this data together with community priorities to devise interventions that address aspects of the quintuple aim.
- Address black health inequities through black population-based research
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### **4. Create and enhance programs to address stress, mental health, opioids and addiction**
- Further implement and evaluate the impact of Integrated PATH ([**iPATH**](https://hbi.ucalgary.ca/research/institute-initiatives/ipath))
- Implement and evaluate quality and safety improvements for opioid prescribing in primary care in Alberta, using data from Alberta Health Services, clinical decision support tools, and feedback mechanisms
- Identify the barriers and opportunities to enhance naloxone distribution in primary care
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### **5. Expand research and education into the impact of climate change on health**
- Climate preparedness and adaptation in clinical delivery and training
- Environmentally sustainable health care and education
- Align with the [**World Health Organization Sustainable Development Goals**](https://www.who.int/europe/about-us/our-work/sustainable-development-goals) (2015) and [**UCalgary Office of Sustainability**](https://www.ucalgary.ca/sustainability)
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