The Initiative

Afiya is a dedicated initiative focused on enhancing healthcare support for Black residents in Surrey and Metro Vancouver. Recognizing the urgent need for action, our organization is committed to addressing the systemic barriers and challenges faced by Black individuals within British Columbia's healthcare system.

We aim to employ community-based participatory action endeavours that center on diverse health disparities and inequities, particularly focusing on systemic racism, medical racism, deficiencies in quality care, and the disproportionate occurrence of adverse health outcomes.

With a vision for a physical space tailored to the needs of the Black communities in Surrey, we aim to establish a multidisciplinary care center. Our space will focus on addressing both physical and mental health needs, ensuring holistic care for our patients, via a culturally driven model that is safe and equitable for BAC communities.

  • Exploring and dismantling the multifaceted barriers and issues that Black individuals face within BC's Healthcare system while creating a system that works for us, by us.

  • The space, located in Surrey BC, will be an accessible centre where Black residents can work with an interdisciplinary team of nurse practitioners, nurses, doctors, advocates, social workers, and counsellors to address their health needs.

  • Our objective is to delivering culturally focused care from various standpoints. We believe physical and mental health both need to be considered in regards to one's overall wellbeing. This is why our approach involves various healthcare professionals ensuring our patients are cared for from a holistic standpoint.

Community engagement models seek to include the community in the development process to achieve long-term and sustainable outcomes, relationships, discourse, and decision-making. This approach is a powerful methodology that seeks to address health disparities and inequities by directly involving the affected community. In the context of the Black population in Surrey, this approach recognizes the importance of understanding the unique challenges they face in terms of systemic discrimination and marginalization that impact their health outcomes. Through community engagement, Afiya emphasizes collaboration, inclusivity, and empowerment, and it involves the following key steps:

  • Establishing relationships with the Black community leaders and members in Surrey.

    Leveraging existing community-academic partnerships to ensure trust and a shared understanding of the research goals.

    Involving Black leaders in the planning and development of investigative focus groups.

  • Conducting informant interviews with Black community leaders to gain insights into the specific health disparities and challenges faced by the community.

    Organizing investigative focus groups with community members to explore their experiences within the healthcare system and how systemic discrimination has affected their health.

  • Utilizing an equity-centered design model to guide the community engagement process, ensuring that interventions and initiatives are tailored to address the specific needs of the Black population in Surrey.

    Collaborating with community members to co-create research questions, methodologies, and interventions that are culturally sensitive and appropriate.

  • Creating a culturally safe environment for participants to share their experiences and perspectives throughout the community engagement process.

    Validating the lived experiences of Black individuals through the acknowledgment of the diverse range of challenges they encounter.

  • Empowering the Black community by involving them in decision-making processes, fostering a sense of ownership over the research outcomes.

    Translating research findings into actionable interventions such as tailored healthcare services, educational initiatives, and community empowerment programs.