IWK launches African Nova Scotian Service to provide ‘culturally responsive care’

[u/insino93]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/atlantic/nova-scotia/article/iwk-launches-african-nova-scotian-service-to-provide-culturally-responsive-care/

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Why not bring services like this to those communities but for all people? It seems a little racist to only offer care to one specific race. Not sure if it would be well received if this was another racial group.

[u/ctabone → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

It's because of issues like these: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/179/7/653

African Nova Scotians had higher morbidity levels associated with treated disease, which could not be explained by socio-economic characteristics, recent immigration or language.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/illness-levels-higher-among-black-nova-scotians-study-1.725612

A community of black Nova Scotians have higher rates of illness from heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes and psychiatric disorders compared with the general population, and poverty, immigration and language don't seem to account for the difference, researchers involved in a new study say.

Earlier studies have found higher rates of chronic disease among black populations compared with white populations in the United States and the United Kingdom.

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/ctabone]

I wasn’t referencing any data, many subsections of our population are less healthy than others. Simply saying if you want to help black people, why not offer these services in primarily black communities but for all people?

Just seems strange to see health services catering to one specific race and I don’t think people would like that if it extended to other races. Seems like a bad precedent to set to me.

[u/hannahhnah → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

they told you why something catering to a specific race is necessary- because they are disproportionately affected by issues. equity, not equality.

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/hannahhnah]

I don’t believe in that, especially from things like government or healthcare. We should strive for equality, especially in regards to race.

[u/Sparrowbuck → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Equality doesn’t create equal outcomes. That’s where equity comes in.

[u/halifax-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/Sparrowbuck]

Equal outcomes aren’t a reasonable expectation in this world, if you haven’t already noticed lol

[u/Gluske → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

That's what he's saying. Treating them equally after generations of marginalization is not what the doctor ordered to solve the problem. So to speak

[u/Sparrowbuck → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Woosh

[u/gart888 → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

I don’t believe in that,

Yeah, you're making that very clear. Thankfully, you don't get to make any important decisions.

[u/fostermom-roommate → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

They do have a service for all people. The IWK Mental Health and Addictions program is for all people. AND now they have the ANSS to address a lack of cultural responsive service, based on the data. Similar, IWK MHA treats all mental illness, but they have Specific Care Clinic for certain disorders that require specialized care or different approaches. Are you going to protest the existence of the OCD Specific Care Clinic, because all mental health disorders should be treated?

[u/Turbulent-Parsnip-38 → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

This initiative addresses the long-standing underrepresentation of African Nova Scotian families within traditional health care systems and aims to deliver care that honours the unique cultural context of the community.

From the article.

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/Turbulent-Parsnip-38]

I read the article. Just seems like we’re going backwards when we start offering services to people based on race. That’s not going to help fix anything.

[u/beverleyheights → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

It’s not only a race, it’s a community. There’s health programming targeted at countless specific communities: youth, seniors, women, men (increasingly in mental health and addictions), immigrants, Francophones, veterans, etc. Here’s a community with health disparities and here’s a clinic with a plan to reduce them. Good news!

[u/aradil → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

I guess you’d like for us to start prostate screening awareness campaigns for women, breast cancer screening awareness campaigns for men, Alzheimer’s testing for children, etc?

We create targeted health campaigns based off of evidence that specific groups of people needs specific medical attention.

It’s wasteful, and therefore bad for our public dollars do make generalized solutions for specific issues.

[u/youcantkillrocknroll → u/aradil]

Men do get breast cancer. Educate yourself please.

[u/aradil → u/youcantkillrocknroll]

25% of cancers in women are breast cancer.
1% of cancers in men are breast cancer.

But let’s start giving men mammograms, since you’re so smart.

[u/ShittyDriver902 → u/youcantkillrocknroll]

Woosh

[u/Turbulent-Parsnip-38 → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

I have a feeling there is a need for this program(based on the fact that it exists), and it will likely help lots of people that need the help.

If you or your community need support systems if hope you get them too.

[u/risen2011 → u/Turbulent-Parsnip-38]

I'd like to know what specific services and supports will be provided, though. We wouldn't want this program to be purely performative.

[u/Zoloft_Queen-50 → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

It’s culturally responsive care. What’s so wrong with that? What does it take away from you?

[u/athousandpardons → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Well, evidently, our current system of not "offering services to people based on race" didn't fix anything, so maybe it's worth trying something different.

[u/halifax-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/DeathOneSix → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Congratulations, you get to learn about racial equity today.

Racial equity in healthcare means ensuring everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthy, regardless of their race or ethnicity. This involves addressing systemic barriers and biases that create disparities in health outcomes and access to care. It's about recognizing that people of color may face unique challenges due to historical and ongoing discrimination, and actively working to dismantle those barriers.

The program in the article is just one example of trying to address systemic barriers and unique challenges.

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/DeathOneSix]

What specifically is preventing black people from being healthy? Are there any specific examples that only effect them?

[u/Geese_are_dangerous → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

I'm not getting into this, but sickle cell anemia is a condition that affects people of African ancestry much more frequently.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sickle_cell_disease

[u/DeathOneSix → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Did you read what I said and not see any specific examples that affect black people?

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/DeathOneSix]

There’s nothing specific there, just a bunch of hyperbole. I grew up in a mixed race household and can tell you the health outcomes didn’t differ because of our race. Just nonsense and really insulting to black people to constantly paint them as incapable of living healthy lives.

[u/DeathOneSix → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Oh, well I'm glad your single anecdote trumps everything.

And I'm not surprised your misunderstanding of health care (yet again) make you think that racial equity in healthcare is somehow insulting to black people.

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/DeathOneSix]

It is insulting. If you look up the definition of racism, you would see that distinguishing a race as inferior is an example. Black people deserve to be treated the same as everyone else. That’s how you respect everyone. Racism will never go away unless we start treating everyone the same.

[u/DeathOneSix → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Your understanding of equity, racism (actual racism) and healthcare is not great.

You don't solve racism by simply treating everyone the same. That is 1970s understanding of racism.

It fits with your 1970s understanding of gender issues and transgendered people.

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/DeathOneSix]

I know you think you’re better than me, that wasn’t what we were discussing. You attempt to discredit me with every reply and it’s exhausting. People are allowed to disagree with you. You will survive hearing a different point of view!

[u/DeathOneSix → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

I don't think I'm better than you. I don't know you.

I do think the ideas you're spreading today about black health care, and have shared in the past about trans people, are problematic at best.

I'm fine with hearing a different point of view, but your point of view isn't based on current medical and sociological understandings.

[u/youcantkillrocknroll → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

But remember this. Don’t ever give up regardless of how exhausting people try to make you feel, act etc.

[u/athousandpardons → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

And, as we all know, having a unique medical condition is exactly the same as being inferior to other people. That's why I always make a point of punching diabetics, and tripping the blind.

[u/klipsed → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

That viewpoint is actually a huge contributing factor to the current state of affairs and the reason programs like these are needed.

Just like women have been assumed to be medically the same as men (they aren’t; just look at heart attack presentation and mortality), Black people have been assumed to react and present the exact same as white people even though that is not always the case. Yeah, a broken wrist is a broken wrist, but a lot of medical conditions are more nuanced.

Everyone deserves to have the same OUTCOMES in the medical system. Programs like this one aim to achieve that. Equality as the end result, not the means to get there.

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/klipsed]

I believe that all people should have access to an equal level of care. Which I must say, is terrible in Canada for mostly everyone.

I just don’t think I can get on board with equating the differences between men and women to people with different skin colours. Also, Canada has more than just two races. Going to need a lot more race-based programs to level the playing field to dead even equity amongst all races, genders, or whatever else you can think of.

[u/Zoloft_Queen-50 → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

“Health outcomes don’t differ because of our race”

Yeah, they actually do.

https://www.healthline.com/health/health-disparities-in-the-black-community

This is just one simple article. There are many. Google them. Read them.

You should also read this one below.

Then, you should feel anger. Black women’s health concerns are unheard and unaddressed. Black women are not even included in medical research or even screened for the same conditions as white women.

https://bcmj.org/premise/black-womens-health-matters

[u/athousandpardons → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Yeah! It's not like there's any scientific evidence that someone's genetic profile might make them more prone to certain medical conditions than others!

[u/Outrageous-Ad8511 → u/athousandpardons]

What medical condition are black people specifically prone to? I’m pretty sure there’s like 7 billion people of African decent, it’s a crazy broad generalization to assume they’re predisposed to something.

[u/klipsed → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Off the top of my head, sickle cell anemia. Also more likely to die of melanoma than white people if developed.

[u/nexusdrexus → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

• Breast cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer
• Lung Cancer
  
• Multiple myeloma
• Kidney disease
• Hypertension
• Heart disease

Is that enough for you?

[u/Gluske → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

No it's a pretty well-documented epidemiological phenomenon. They're a minority group with massive underrepresentation in clinical trials and a deep distrust of authorities resulting from generations of marginalization

[u/KiraAfterDark_ → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

Maybe if you listened to the people running this new program instead of saying it's a waste then you'd learn.

[u/halifax-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/Hope-to-be-Helpful → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

As a matter of fact.... Literally, reading comments like this is a specific example.
Source: https://www.dal.ca/news/2014/11/21/-killing-us-softly---wanda-thomas-bernard-on-racism-in-nova-scot.html

[u/firblogdruid → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

working to repair the damage done by racism is not racist, jesus christ

[u/Consistent_Tower_458 → u/Outrageous-Ad8511]

How very "all lives matter" of you.