Community-Engaged Insights: Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Immigrant and Refugee Health – Jun. 11, 2026

Session Description

This presentation will share findings from a CIHR-funded, community-engaged research program (https://ccdproject.ca/) examining the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on immigrants and refugees in Ontario living with cancer and mental health and addiction (MH&A) conditions. Using population-based, linked administrative health data, the study highlights how intersecting social and clinical vulnerabilities—such as poverty, precarious employment, and systemic inequities—contributed to significantly worse COVID-19 outcomes among these populations, including higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission, and mortality. The research underscores how structural factors and pre-existing health conditions compound disadvantage during public health crises.