Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) Celebrates 25 years of Advancing Indigenous Health Equity in Ontario

Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) celebrates 25 years of advancing Indigenous health equity in Ontario

IPHCC health care model honours Indigenous knowledge systems and puts Indigenous health in Indigenous hands

November 22, 2023 (Tkaronto (Toronto) |Kanadario (Ontario)) – The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) celebrates 25 years of delivering Indigenous-led, community-centered healthcare through its Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHAC) across Kanadario (Ontario).

“Indigenous People and communities face unique health inequalities,” says Chief Executive Ofcer Caroline Lidstone-Jones. “Indigenous health must be culturally safe, respectful and wholistic. Our AHACs follow a model of care guided by Indigenous knowledge with culture at its core. Health for Indigenous Peoples is more than physical – it is spiritual, mental and emotional health braided together.”

Aboriginal Health Access Centres use traditional healing, community development, and cultural and health programming initiatives to help First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities receive and access healthcare. These centres are designed to address systemic racism and a lack of consideration for Indigenous knowledge in the Ontario healthcare system. Using culture as treatment in combination with modern medical science, AHACs have supported the healing of approximately 100,000 Indigenous Peoples over the course of a generation.

Members from 22 Indigenous Primary Health Care Organizations across Kanadario (Ontario) will attend the Gala to honour the positive impact of Indigenous knowledge and culture utilized as treatment – integrating Ceremony, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, traditional healing and frontline staf.

The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Ministry of Indigenous Afairs, the Ministry of Health, TD Canada Trust and all funders for an unwavering commitment to Indigenous health.

For more information, please watch this video celebrating the work of the AHACs.

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Media Contact:
Jill McKenzie
Director of Strategy and Media Relations
pipikwan pêhtâkwan
jill@pipikwanpehtakwan.com

About Indigenous Primary Health Care Council:

The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) is an Indigenous-governed, culture-based, and Indigenous-informed organization. Its key mandate is to support the advancement and evolution of Indigenous primary health care services throughout Ontario. It works with 21 Indigenous primary health care organizations (IPHCOs) across Ontario including Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHACs), Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Teams (IPCTs), Indigenous Community Health Centres (ICHCs) and Indigenous Family Health Teams (IFHTs) to address the physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental wellbeing of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) peoples and communities being served.