Intersectoral Action Fund (ISAF)

The Intersectoral Action Fund project was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and aimed to promote intersectoral action by strengthening community capacity to address the social determinants of health.  

Ribbon Rouge Foundation aimed to foster partnerships to facilitate action on social determinants of health and well-being by bringing together organizations and ACB individuals with lived experience to address the social determinants of health faced by ACBs. 

Through our environmental scan, including racism and discrimination, the major social determinants of health affecting ACBs in Alberta are education, employment, income and mental health. Thus, the ISA project created an advisory board with three subgroups to achieve these four goals: 

1. Improve cross-sector governance and collaboration among stakeholders dedicated to ACB health equity. 
2. Foster the skills and capacity of the ecosystem to develop evidence-based solutions. 
3. Develop cross-sector groups that will implement targeted ACB health equity action plans. 
4. Share our findings and action plans through a regional and national knowledge translation plan. 

The 1st Afya Equity Hub held on March 18, 2023, was an information hub where key findings were shared with the community and partners. We also had presentations on Sickle Cell and HIV, which are both health conditions that affect the African, Caribbean, and Black community. Attendees were treated to cultural food, Afrocentric cultural performances, and mental health wellness exercises.