The AFMC Board has approved the creation of a Committee on Black Health, Innovation and Advancement to provide support and advice to the AFMC Board, through the Standing Committee on Social Accountability (SCSA), on strategic and operational matters related to Black health and wellness in academic medicine. The Committee will bring together leads from across Canadian faculties of medicine to facilitate national collaboration among Canadian medical schools to equip faculties with best-practice tools and solutions to address systemic and structural anti-Black racism. Members include:
- Sukhveer Bains
- Magaly Brodeur
- Jared Bullard
- Mabel Carabali
- Maman Joyce Dogba
- Isabelle Ferdinand
- Margaret Henri
- Timi Idris
- Leah Jones
- Erique Lukong
- Nadine Morrison-Levy
- Chiebere Ogbuneke
- Bolu Ogunyemi
- Kannin Osei-Tutu
- Olúṣẹ́gun Oyèdélé
- Eniola Salami
- Ewurabena Simpson
- Lehana Thabane
They will also identify opportunities to illuminate anti-Black racism in academic medicine and advocate for learner competence in anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and culturally safe care through an intersectional lens. Through their work, the Committee on Black Health, Innovation, and Advancement will support the elimination of systemic barriers in the medical education system that sustain and perpetuate all forms of racism and marginalization.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Black physician leaders at their respective medical institutions to come together, build community, and ensure that the health and wellness of Black physicians, learners, patients, and scholars become an established medical education priority in Canada.” – Dr. Kannin Osei-Tutu, Chair, AFMC Committee on Black Health, Innovation and Advancement.
AFMC looks forward to engaging key partners to participate and strengthen our collective approach to action.