Cheryl Prescod, a health-care administrator with a decade of experience, has observed the challenges faced by Black Canadians within the healthcare system’s one-size-fits-all approach. Serving a diverse population at the Black Creek Community Health Centre in Toronto’s Jane and Finch area, Prescod encounters a significant number of Black and racialized individuals who struggle to access healthcare that aligns with their cultural needs.
Certain diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and triple-negative breast cancer, disproportionately affect Black individuals. A new initiative, the genCARE project, funded by Genome Canada, will analyze the genomes of over 10,000 Black Canadians with these conditions and those without underlying health issues. The aim is to identify targeted treatment and prevention strategies for more equitable and anti-racist health outcomes.
Prescod emphasizes the need for inclusion of Black populations in genetic research, as less than five percent of global studies incorporate data from Black individuals, potentially rendering study findings irrelevant to them. She anticipates that the genCARE project’s outcomes will assist her patients at Black Creek in effectively managing their health conditions.
Dr. Upton Allen, leading the genCARE project, envisions incorporating genetic information and other factors into precision medicine approaches for personalized diagnosis and treatment. Overcoming historical discrimination and mistrust towards medical institutions among Black communities poses a challenge for recruiting participants for the project.
Partnering with the Black Creek Community Health Centre during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the importance of building trust with the community to address hesitancy towards healthcare systems. The project aims to address the lack of diversity in genomic databases, ensuring accurate and comprehensive data from racialized populations.
To foster trust and avoid harm, researchers plan to anonymize DNA data, securely store it in Canada, and share study findings with community members transparently. Community engagement, such as utilizing local ambassadors for outreach efforts, has proven effective in building trust within the Black community.
Allen intends to recruit participants from various healthcare settings, including community health centers and hospitals, with plans to involve children in the project’s next phase. While immediate benefits may not be realized, Prescod remains hopeful that the genCARE project’s solutions could positively impact future generations within the Black community.