Question Period Note: RACE/ETHNICITY DATA COLLECTION

How does the federal government work with provinces and territories on the collection of race/ethnicity-based data on deaths and active cases?

• As the pandemic has unfolded in Canada, it has become clear that we need more information on certain groups at higher risk for exposure to, or severe outcomes of, COVID-19.

• Given this, we are working hard with our partners to gather more detailed and complete data – including data on race/ethnicity and Indigenous identity.

• Federal, provincial and territorial public health partners have agreed to a new national data set for COVID-19 cases, which includes new variables to help understand the burden among racialized groups in Canada.

• In addition to improving our national case data set, we are supplementing this information through research and other data collection activities. Together, these efforts will improve Canada’s understanding of, and therefore ability to prevent and respond to, COVID-19 among racialized populations in Canada.

• In doing this work, we are ensuring privacy laws are respected and that a health equity lens is applied to these efforts.

The health consequences of the pandemic differ across sub-populations. Those Canadians who before the pandemic were at greater risk of poor health are likely to be at greater risk of suffering its consequences. There is also emerging evidence that COVID-19 may be widening health inequalities. Given this, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and partners are undertaking activities to generate evidence on the impact of COVID-19 among racialized and Indigenous communities.

PHAC has completed a review of published literature on race/ethnicity and COVID-19. While there is limited evidence available overall and in Canada, studies to date show that those of Black, Asian or Hispanic backgrounds appear to have a higher chance of acquiring COVID-19 infection than those who identify as White. Evidence suggests that underlying health inequalities and socio-economic factors place certain racialized populations at greater risk of COVID-19.

Federal/provincial/territorial (FPT) governments have approved the inclusion of race/ethnicity and enhanced information on Indigeneity within the national data set for COVID-19, to be collected and reported to PHAC. The new national data set was operationalized in October 2020, and some PTs have already begun collecting and sharing this information. PHAC, in collaboration with Indigenous Services Canada and Regional Indigenous Organizations, is working with the PTs to ensure complete and standardized reporting on all variables, including race and Indigeneity.

To complement the national data set, efforts are underway to deepen our understanding of trends within those populations identified at greater risk of impacts related to COVID-19. Specifically, PHAC is working with PTs and other partners to:
• Undertake specialized surveys and enhanced surveillance activities among key populations of interest, including studies to explore the impact of COVID-19 and the consequences of COVID-19-related public health measures on racialized communities; and
• Expand the knowledge base on racialized communities and COVID-19, including through leveraging Statistics Canada’s race-based data from new data collection initiatives, and coordinating efforts with the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) to facilitate research activities related to the burden and impact of COVID-19 among racialized communities.

It is important that this work be done in a way that avoids stigmatization of population sub-groups, respects privacy laws, and ensures individual autonomy (in choosing whether or not to provide this information to the health care system and public health).

SYNOPSIS
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is working to collect additional data on race/ethnicity and Indigenous identity to improve our understanding of the overall burden and impact of COVID-19 in Canada and, in particular, health inequities associated with COVID-19.