B.C. announces Indigenous cancer strategy built on culturally safe care
VANCOUVER — British Columbia has launched a strategy to prevent, screen and diagnose cancer among Indigenous people, with an aim to increase survival rates.
Annette Morgan, president of the B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, said systemic racism prevents Indigenous cancer patients from seeking care, which delays diagnosis.
She said the province has 25 friendship centres and they are often the first place where Indigenous people seek health-care support and get advocacy from employees who have been trained to provide culturally safe services.
“For decades, we have been working on the front lines of health care, urging our clients to seek medical attention, going with them to their appointments and making sure they get the help they need,” she told a news conference Tuesday.