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?

KEY MESSAGES
• The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, different impacts on certain groups at higher risk for exposure to, or severe outcomes of, COVID-19 in Canada.
• In order to improve our understanding of COVID-19 by race and ethnicity in Canada, we continue to work hard with our partners to ensure we are collecting the necessary information.

• Specifically, we worked with the provinces and territories to include indicators for race and ethnicity in Canada’s national COVID-19 data set, and to improve reporting of Indigeneity for all COVID-19 cases.
• We are also working with partners to undertake additional surveys and support research efforts to better understand the broader impact, beyond infection rates, of the pandemic on racialized communities in Canada.
• Together, these efforts will continue to improve our understanding of the impacts of the pandemic on racialized and Indigenous communities, as well as inform response and prevention efforts.
• It is critical this work be done in a way that respects privacy laws, facilitates collective collaboration with racialized and Indigenous communities, and employs a health equity lens.

BACKGROUND
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 collect additional data on race/ethnicity, including Indigenous identity, to improve our understanding of the overall impact of COVID-19 in Canada and, in particular, health inequities associated with 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 a number of PTs are collecting and reporting 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/ethnicity 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.

PHAC has completed reviews 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.

PHAC is also working with the 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;
• 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, ensures individual autonomy (in choosing whether or not to provide this information to the health care system and public health), and includes a process of consultation and active engagement with racialized communities to support dissemination and dialogue on findings.

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