Our Health Counts London
Our Health Counts is a community-based research project that gathers missing health information about urban Indigenous people in order to improve and expand upon existing health and social services. The survey was first developed in 2009 as a partnership between Well Living House at St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto) and De Dwa Da Dehs Nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre (Hamilton).
As a result of the project’s success, urban Aboriginal agencies across Ontario have partnered with Well Living House to complete similar surveys, including in Toronto, Ottawa and Thunder Bay. In London, SOAHAC partnered with Well Living House and surveyed over 750 Indigenous people living, working, or accessing health and/or social services in London, Ontario.
The Our Health Counts study design provides an opportunity to address broad gaps in urban Indigenous health assessment across health domains and lifecycle stages. The results will contribute to improving the health of urban Indigenous individuals, families and communities, ensuring a comprehensive health assessment that balances wellness and illness measures and looks across physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health domains. This broad approach to the research is necessary in order to achieve Indigenous community relevance and scientific excellence.