The Afya Equity Hub

The Afya Equity Hub is a recurring symposium series organized by the Ribbon Rouge Foundation. This policy symposium serves as a key platform for research dissemination, knowledge translation, knowledge mobilization, and community engagement across the health, arts, and social service sectors. Each hub is designed to serve the public interest by promoting culturally responsive, community-informed approaches to reducing systemic health disparities. 

Highlights 

Afya Equity Hub 1 – March 2023 

Launched through the Intersectoral Action Fund (Public Health Agency of Canada), this first symposium focused on the social determinants of health, including income, employment, education, and mental health. Programming included: 

• Policy panels and health education on HIV and Sickle Cell Disease 
• Cultural programming centering lived experience in health equity dialogue 

Afya Equity Hub 2 – June 2024 

Held in collaboration with NorQuest College, this policy-focused symposium marked the culmination of Subproject 1 of the Black Equity in Alberta Rainforest (B.E.A.R.) Project. Highlights included: 

• Presentation of 18 policy recommendations 
• A national call to action for coordinated ACB health equity efforts 

Afya Equity Hub 3 – August 2025 

A three-day symposium that focused on arts-based knowledge mobilization and professional development for ACB artists. It featured: 

• Showcase of artworks rooted in health research (visual arts, tattooing, dance) 
• Public presentations of findings from the 7 of the 9 completed B.E.A.R. subprojects 
• Exploration of how cultural expression translates complex health data into accessible narratives 

The symposium will continue to emphasize community ownership, data sovereignty, and public engagement through Afrocentric and arts-based approaches. 

The Afya Equity Hub series is entirely charitable and educational in nature, aligned with the Ribbon Rouge Foundation’s mission to eliminate health disparities and foster systemic equity for racialized communities. It directly contributes to several national and provincial public interest priorities: 

• Supporting health equity, anti-racism, and 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion 
• Promoting knowledge translation from community-based research to public policy 
• Advancing data equity and representation for Black communities in health systems 
• Enhancing cultural competency in healthcare and social service delivery 
• Strengthening cross-sector collaboration for long-term systems change 

By amplifying the voices and lived experiences of ACB communities, the Afya Equity Hub plays a vital role in Canada’s collective efforts to achieve social justice, community safety, and inclusive civic engagement.