Who Gets Care When Systems Are Under Strain?

The sixth-annual Vohra Miller Lectures in Critical Public Health Issues, in collaboration with the Institute of Health Emergencies and Pandemics aims to foster a dialogue on how intersecting forms of oppression—such as race, disability, and immigrant status—compound the challenges faced by these groups in Ontario when trying to access primary care during health emergencies. We will explore the structural barriers that hinder their access to healthcare, rehabilitation, and social services, while discussing the broader impacts on mental health, access to care, and economic stability. The discussion will propose strategies that contribute to the creation of a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system.

Panelists Prof. Chavon Niles, Hon. Kamal Khera, and Liza Arnason will share learning outcomes and their perspectives to address topics posed by panelist and moderator Prof. Arjumand Siddiqi.

• How intersecting oppressions shape access to primary care during health emergencies

• Structural barriers within Ontario’s healthcare, rehabilitation, and social service systems

• Downstream impacts on mental health, economic stability, and long‑term wellbeing

• Strategies and policy solutions for building a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient healthcare system

The live event will only be held in-person, but a recording will be available after the event on YouTube. Participants that attend in person are invited to join a meet-and-greet with the panelists after the event.

The Institute of Health Emergencies and Pandemics at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health was formed in spring 2020 in order to tackle some of the most pressing issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and to understand how to prevent future pandemics. A central goal of the Institute is to address issues of health equity associated with pandemics and other public health emergencies. As part of this goal, the Institute, along with its founding donor, the Vohra Miller Foundation, sponsors a lecture series that features preeminent scholars, policymakers, advocates, and others who are engaging in the science of health inequities, other critical public health issues, and in the translation of that science. This is the sixth annual lecture of the Vohra Miller Lectures in Critical Public Health Issues.

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