The MA and PhD Program in Health (specialized field in Health Policy & Equity) emphasizes the analysis and promotion of equity in health through public policy action. It is directed at the societal causes of inequalities in health and the organization and delivery of health care and how public policy can redress these issues.
The program offers a comprehensive curriculum covering major scholarly perspectives. The structure and environment of the field encourage advanced research, new scholarship and opportunities to contribute to the discipline, enabling students to explore health policy in relation to equity and human rights perspectives.
Important Dates, Deadlines & Upcoming Events
Important Dates for Graduate Students
January 27 | 12pm ET
The COVID-19 pandemic reinforces the importance of the social determinants of health
Dr. Dennis Raphael, Professor, Health Policy and Management, Faculty of Health
It has been known since the mid 1850s that the primary factors shaping health are living and working conditions. Canada has produced many documents about these social determinants of health but provides a discouraging portrait concerning their quality and equitable distribution. The COVID-19 pandemic has served to reinforce these understandings yet the prospect of government action on these issues remains uncertain.
Current News & Announcements
The article Inequities in genetic testing for hereditary breast cancer: implications for public health practice by PhD Candidate in Health Policy & Equity, Ambreen Sayani was showcased in the top read and cited articles from the Journal of Community Genetics from 2018 and 2019 that included a spectrum of articles covering genetics in primary care, public health aspects of genetics, and ethical, legal, social, and economic issues. It features both original articles and thought-provoking reviews.
Recent Publications & Awards
PhD Candidate in Health Policy & Equity, Arnel Borras has published Toward an Intersectional Approach to Health Justice in the International Journal of Health Services.
Dr. Farah Ahmad has published Canadian Clinicians Adopting Virtual Health Care During COVID-19 Pandemic: Salute to Our Fast Learners
Dr. Claudia Chaufan has published "It's the politics, stupid: Why more "skin in the game" will not help control US healthcare spending" in Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Other Social Characteristics as Factors in Health and Health Care Disparities
York PhD student has paper published in international journal
Faisal Mohamed, a student in York University’s Graduate Program in Health, co-wrote a paper that appeared in the “The International Journal of Health Services,” exploring how trade policy leads to social and health inequalities by influencing pharmaceutical prices.
