N.S. Black health and wellness clinics aim to break down health inequities

Building on the success of COVID-19 vaccination clinics catering specifically to Black Nova Scotians, Public Health is now holding Black health and wellness clinics across the province that aim to break down longstanding racial health inequities. Sharon Davis-Murdoch has been advocating for racial equity in health care for more than 20 years. She was a driving force behind the clinics. She said health-care providers are learning to better serve Black patients through the project. The patients, in turn, are learning to trust a health-care system they may have previously avoided. The clinics started in 2021 as COVID-19 vaccines rolled out. “Who knew that we would have a pandemic and that that would move forward our long held interest and concern in culturally competent and culturally specific care,” Davis-Murdoch said. Now, the pop-up clinics offer vaccinations against COVID-19 and the flu, but public health nurses are also sharing resources on other health issues impacting the Black population.  Dr. Ryan Sommers, a senior official with Nova Scotia Public Health, said public health nurses and health navigators at the clinics are equipped to field a wide variety of health concerns. Sharon Davis-Murdoch is a founding member and co-president of the Health Association of...