By Stacey Woods, 2nd year MDP student
My name is Stacey Woods; I was born in the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Ojibwe-Cree, Dene, and the birthplace of the Red River Métis, also colonially known as Winnipeg, Manitoba, or Treaty 1 territory, where I grew up with my parents and older brother. My background and ancestral ties are rooted in Ukraine and Britain, which actively inform my worldviews and perspectives as a woman, a daughter, a sister, a niece, and a friend to many in my circle and outstretched community. I wanted to begin by stating where I place myself within knowledge production. This goes for not only for this blog post but, for wherever I go in spaces where teaching and learning are being done. The work that is illustrated in this presentation is both directly and indirectly impacted by intersections of my identity and socially constructed sense of reality.
Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to contribute to knowledge translation efforts with the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID), where I explored the evidence and knowledge on information campaigns on Tuberculosis (TB) in Canada’s North. In the expansive and often isolated landscapes of Canada's North, TB intervention, planning, and mitigation strategies present unique challenges that are distinct to certain regions due to infrastructure, resource management, and coordination among multiple sectors and partners. Advances in TB diagnostic technologies, coupled with proactive community-based initiatives, are reshaping how local community-based approaches to TB testing, screening, and treatment in Northern Arctic regions look like (i.e., regional planning, clinical operations, health human resources, etc.). Yet, the cornerstone of these advancements lies in effective TB information campaigns for understanding the effectiveness of knowledge mobilization for TB awareness.
These campaigns (i.e., social media, radio stations, news broadcasts, print media, online resources, organizational programs, community-based initiatives, etc.) are not just about spreading awareness—they are about empowering communities and building capacity. By educating individuals about TB, these campaigns encourage early detection and prompt treatment seeking. They play a crucial role in bridging knowledge gaps and ensuring health care resources are brought forward as an option and piece of knowledge to encourage and promote wellness practices (i.e., screening, diagnosis, symptom and disease management, etc.) for those who need them most, regardless of the logistical, geographical, and infrastructural barriers.
It was a privilege to explore how information campaigns can effect change and improve public health outcomes, and at the same time, learn and appreciate the efforts that have and continue to be made to eliminate TB globally. Working alongside the NCCID team was inspiring, and I am deeply grateful for their commitment to advancing public health initiatives that stretch beyond the scope of TB management. I would like to personally thank my supervisor and mentor, Claudyne Chevrier (pictured on the right), as well as my other supporting supervisor, Margaret Haworth-Brockman (not pictured) for allowing me to contribute to TB knowledge translation and TB information campaign knowledge mobilization.
