Critical Collaborative Research for
Equity and Transformation in Health

Do you provide health services to the ACB community?
Do you identify as African, Caribbean or Black (ACB)?

Welcome to CO-CREATH Labs

The Collaborative Critical Research for Equity and Transformation in Health (CO-CREATH) lab is led by Dr. Josephine Etowa, OHTN Chair in Black Women’s Health and Professor, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa.

CO-CREATH conducts critical research and capacity building to advance health equity and transformative community engagement. We are a hub of researchers, trainees, and community partners working to unpack the complex determinants of health inequities, identify innovations, and create solutions to the challenges of providing high-quality health and health care to a diverse society.

LATEST FROM COCREATh

June 23-24, 2022: Over 90 people participated in the World Café Event for the African, Caribbean and Black Community PHAC-funded COVID-19 Impact (APCI) Study. Stay tuned for the launch of the English and French versions of the APCI Community Report.

Over 90 people participated in the World Café Event for the African, Caribbean and Black Community PHAC-funded COVID-19 Impact (APCI) …

Read More →

June 8, 2022: New publication – Birth spacing among Ethiopian women between 2000 and 2016: Trends and Predictors.

Bishwajit G., Etowa J., Anik A.I., Etowa E. Birth spacing among Ethiopian women between 2000 and 2016: trends and predictors. …

Read More →

May 26, 2022: NEW PUBLICATION – Immigrant generational status and the uptake of HIV screening services among heterosexual men of African descent in Canada: Evidence from the weSpeak study.

Read the full article Konkor, I., Luginaah, I., Husbands, W., Omorodion, F., Antabe, R., Wong, J., Kuuire, V., Mkandawire, P., …

Read More →

April 28, 2022: Prof. Etowa (PI) and CO-CREATH Lab partners awarded $450,000 SSHRC grant for a new 3-year project, “Strengthening organizational capacity for health research, data management and knowledge mobilization in ACB communities across Canada”

Read the SSHRC announcement

Read More →

March 31, 2022: Launch of the AVA Project COVID-19 vaccine acceptance survey on the impact of COVID-19 on ACB community members and on service providers

Complete either survey for a chance to win one of 10 prizes of $150: Do you provide health services to …

Read More →

February 2022: Professor Etowa was featured on the University of Ottawa-School of Nursing website during Black History month

Read More →

Explore CO-CREATH LABS

What we do

Learn more about what we do at CO-CREATH Labs. 

How we work

Interested in our works? Learn more about our research. 

DIRECTOR JOSEPHONE ETOWA

Josephine Etowa, PhD RN RM FWACN FAAN, is a Full Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa and holder of the OHTN Chair in Black Women’s Health and HIV Prevention and Care.

Dr. Etowa is the Director and Lead Investigator of Collaborative Critical Research for Equity and
Transformation in Health (CO-CREATH) Lab. She is a transformational leader in health equity, antiracism, and community empowerment research within Canada and internationally, and her research and mentoring have led to real-world change at the practice, program, and policy level. Her programs of research include many nationally- and internationally funded studies on African, the Caribbean, and Black (ACB) health, health equity, perinatal health, COVID-19 pandemic, HIV/AIDS, nurses’ work life, and community health nursing.

What We Do

— Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a theory used in equity work to understand and interpret how social identities intersect or mutually enhance to create marginalization or privilege, and how these impact health outcomes. 

— Socio-ecological Model

We employ a socio-ecological model in our work to acknowledge that tackling individual-level determinants is insufficient to reduce health inequities unless it is supported by structural changes. 

Take a look at our projects

Education on Racism, Stereotypes and Stigma through Community Engagement: A Mixed-Method Study Assessing the Bridge Inclusivity Training (BIT Medical Education Project). Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa

Canada’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Homeless and At-risk for Homelessness Populations in Ottawa.

Monitoring Trends in the Prevalence of HIV Associated Behavioural, Socio-Demographic and Systemic Factors, and Health Care Utilization among First and Second generation African and Caribbean People Who Reside in Toronto and Ottawa-The A/C Study

The virtual village: How do video conferencing technologies influence experiences of postpartum education during a pandemic?

Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment (ACE) Intervention: Reducing HIV Stigma and Promoting Community Resilience Through Capacity Building.

Canada’s COVID-19 Pandemic Response and Homeless or At-risk for Homelessness and Minority Populations in Ottawa: A mixed method study

Impact Stories

Jane’s Been A Migrant Worker Since She Was Just 12
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco nisi reprehenderit in voluptate.
A Brighter Future — For Cambodia’s Children
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco nisi reprehenderit in voluptate.

Community Partners

Skip to content