Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund Community Report (2018-2024) : Overview

Summary

Black people in Canada face significant social and economic challenges that have negative implications for their mental health. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians (MHBC) Fund aims to support a more culturally focused knowledge, capacity, and programs that address mental health and its determinants for Black people in Canada, including a focus on youth. This community report reflects Black communities’ voices and experiences of mental health captured through a variety of reports submitted by the 23 projects funded by the MHBC Fund between 2018 and 2024 and insights from working group members.

Funded projects identified sustainability, together with access to mental health services from an organization sharing similar cultural and racial identity, as the two most critical criteria that would enhance accessibility and mental health wellness. Additionally, cultivating cultural competence among funded projects was essential for establishing a trusting rapport with participants. The MHBC Fund has significantly enhanced the visibility of Black voices, fostered change, offered Black-led direction for effective execution, and supported the implementation of mental health awareness initiatives. Projects were successful in building relationships and raising awareness across Black communities by delivering Black-led national conferences, community events, and the creation of online networks that are Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving. This has led to a rise in anti-Black racism awareness and intersectional community-based initiatives.

Addressing mental health needs for Black communities in Canada, which have been ignored and marginalized for several years, extends beyond the provisions of the MHBC Fund. To this end, this report recognizes the significance of collaborative and collective endeavors to help strengthen projects efforts to promote positive mental health across Black communities in Canada. It is imperative that partnerships continue to broaden the scope of work this Fund has begun.

Authors and contributors

The MHBC Community Report was led by Natalie Bailey and was co-authored alongside Mathilde St-Louis-Deschênes. The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions and guidance of the following colleagues from the Social Determinants of Health Division throughout the development of this report: Christine Soon, Ifrah Abdillahi, Jasmine Leroy, Khalid Said and, Mamadou Ndiaye, Manal Salibi, Sandrine Kankolongo, Sylvie Ngaleu, and Tolu Ogunyomi.

Special thanks are extended to Annie Comtois, Director General of the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Equity, and to Eméry Gahimbare, Acting Director of the Social Determinants of Health Division at PHAC, for their valued support and contributions.

Learn more

• Social determinants and inequities in health for Black Canadians: A Snapshot: The report identifies Anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination as major drivers of health and social inequities for Black communities in Canada, affecting access to education, employment, housing, and food. It shows that Black people face higher unemployment, housing and food insecurity, and poorer health outcomes than non-Black people living in Canada, and calls for stronger data, research, and action to advance health equity.
• Inequalities in mental health, well-being and wellness in Canada: The report examines trends in mental health inequalities in Canada, showing how social and structural determinants such as income, employment, discrimination, community belonging, and access to health care shape mental health outcomes. It finds that mental health inequalities persist and in some cases are worsening highlighting the need for public health actions that address these upstream determinants rather than focusing only on individual treatment.

• An analysis of the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund: facilitators of success, challenges and recommendations: The study examined the Mental Health of Black Canadians (MHBC) Fund, a Government of Canada initiative to address mental health inequities experienced by Black people in Canada, by analyzing project reports and interviews with participating organizations. It identified key facilitators of success (such as community leadership, participatory research design and incentives), challenges (including delays, COVID-19 disruptions and structural barriers), and provided recommendations for future funding to enhance flexibility, Black representation, and anti-racist practices.

Suggested citation

Public Health Agency of Canada. (2026). Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians Initiative Community Report (2018-2024). Retrieved from https://health-infobase.canada.ca/mental-health/black-canadians/

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