When HIV and COVID-19 Pandemics Collide in Black Communities in Canada

Pandemics expose inequities in health outcomes,both SARS (COVID-19) and HIV disproportionately impact Black people.The combined impacts of racism, sexism, homophobia, and poverty create acute conditions of exposure that are exacerbated by infectious diseases.Whereas most Canadians are reeling from the impact of COVID-19,Black people also remain in an HIV pandemic zone and must deal with the impact of both pandemics simultaneously.This structural inequities creates conditions of vulnerability that are increased by barriers to effective and timely health care, and increases the Black communities' risks to future pandemics.My research will examine the cumulative impacts of existing and emerging social and public health policies on Black people's health and wellbeing in Canada, focusing on their vulnerability to HIV and COVID-19. It will do so by: (1) tracking the rapidly changing health and public policy landscape in Canada (2) using critical feminist and race theories to analyze,compare and contrast COVID-19 and HIV containment and mitigation strategies; and (3) examining how these policies address, reify, challenge, and uphold existing health inequities from the perspective of Black people living with and at risk of Pandemics in Canada.Using institutional ethnography as my main qualitative method of inquiry,I will analyze the quotidian experiences of Black Canadians and examine the organization of social and institutional systems and policies during pandemics. My personal experiences as a Black woman living with HIV and deep roots in the HIV and Black communities are especially critical for successfully implementation of this ambitious plan.An integrated knowledge translation and exchange plan using multiple forms of dissemination (e.g., scientific papers, policy papers, community forums, and social media) and collaboration with Black organizations, community members, researchers, activists, and scholars will ensure that findings are accessible to diverse audiences.