Abstract
Although the Canadian Medicare system was created to increase accessibility to healthcare services, many healthcare disparities within socioeconomically vulnerable and racialized populations still exist. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated these disparities and has drawn attention to their social determinants. For example, a recent survey found COVID-19 infection rates 2.5 times higher in black adults compared to the general Canadian population. Also, in Montreal, the highest number of Covid-19 cases have been reported in neighbourhoods with high rates of poverty and the most racial diversity, especially those with large black populations. However, even though 22.3% of the Canadian population identify as a visible minority, racial differences are rarely considered in the Canadian healthcare literature. Using a qualitative exploratory design, this study is exploring the role of race in shaping experiences around accessibility and quality of healthcare in black populations in Montreal. Insights emerging from analysis will inform the development of strategies to enhance healthcare accessibility. The focus on issues of equity and healthcare accessibility in racially, culturally, and ethnically diverse populations locally resonates with global health values and concerns for universal health coverage. Race-based analysis and the critical discourse it provokes are needed to avert disparities in morbidity and mortality that have already been observed within these populations and which are being amplified by the pandemic. Global goals around universal health coverage will only be achieved if barriers to equitable healthcare access are addressed – Canada must embrace this challenge and be a model of best global practices.
