TORONTO, April 18,
2024 /CNW/ - Today, the Ontario Human Rights
Commission (OHRC) announced its commitment to work with Indigenous
partners to develop human rights policy guidance to address
and combat long-standing and widespread Indigenous-specific
discrimination in Ontario's
healthcare system.
The OHRC's policy guidance will:
- provide practical guidance to healthcare providers on what they
should do to meet their Ontario Human Rights Code (Code)
obligations; and
- help First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and urban Indigenous people
understand how they are protected by the Code when seeking
healthcare services.
To inform this guidance, the OHRC will meet with Indigenous
health professionals, organizations, and communities across the
province in the coming months. By these interactions, the
Commission aims to gain a deeper understanding of systemic
concerns, barriers, and priorities related to Indigenous-specific
discrimination in the delivery of healthcare in Ontario.
As well, the OHRC is launching an online survey to gather
information about lived experiences. First Nations, Inuit, Métis,
and urban Indigenous people who have experienced discrimination
when receiving healthcare services are invited to complete the
survey. The OHRC also invites family members, caregivers, service
providers and other people who have witnessed Indigenous-specific
discrimination in healthcare to take part in the survey.
The OHRC will report back on what it hears during the meetings
and through the survey in an engagement report.
"Indigenous-specific discrimination is pervasive throughout our
healthcare system. This is intolerable. The Commission calls for
immediate and practical change. The engagements and the survey are
the start of the Commission's work to develop vital human rights
guidance to help prevent and address this discrimination," said
Patricia DeGuire, Chief
Commissioner, Ontario Human Rights Commission. "We acknowledge and
are grateful for the past work done by Wabano and other Indigenous
organizations and communities to document the harm and consequences
of Indigenous-specific discrimination and call for change. We hope
the Commission's guidance will provide a valuable tool to hold the
healthcare system accountable."
Quick Facts
- Anti-Indigenous discrimination and racism in the healthcare
system is a key determinant of poor Indigenous health outcomes,
leading to very serious, and sometimes lethal, consequences, such
as the tragic experiences of Brian
Sinclair, Joyce Echaquan,
Brent Sky and Helen
Winterstein.
- It is well-documented that Indigenous people score
significantly lower than the general Ontario population on a range of health
metrics:
- As of 2013, life expectancy for Indigenous people remained
about 10 years lower than the non-Indigenous population (71 years
compared to 81 years in 2004 and 82 years in 2013).
- Rates of chronic conditions are significantly higher in First
Nation, Inuit, and Métis populations than in the general
Ontario population. 63% of First
Nations people off-reserve and 61% of Métis suffer from one or more
chronic conditions, compared to 47% of the non-Indigenous
population.
- Collectively, experiences of racism and discriminatory
treatment from healthcare professionals have led to a lack of trust
in, and unwillingness to access, health services and has caused
Indigenous people to delay or avoid seeking timely essential care.
Participants at the OHRC's 2018 Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights
dialogue raised these factors and poor health outcomes as issues of
significant concern.
Additional Resources
- Read more about the OHRC's work to address Indigenous-specific
discrimination in the delivery of healthcare in Ontario
- To dream together: Indigenous peoples and human rights dialogue
report | Ontario Human Rights Commission (ohrc.on.ca)
- Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health and Ottawa Aboriginal
Coalition's report highlighting Indigenous-Specific Racism &
Discrimination in Health Care Across the Champlain Region
SOURCE Ontario Human Rights Commission