Author: Samira Prasad

Dr. Sean Rourke, Our Healthbox lead, recently spoke with CBC following the launch of the first Healthboxes in the Northwest Territories. Two machines are currently operating, with plans to add more this fall.

On August 19, 2025 the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) announced the 47 new Fellows elected for 2025, among them are MAP scientists Drs. Jim Dunn and Kamran Khan.

CAHS recognizes excellence in health sciences and their Fellows reflect a rich and varied expertise. Election to Fellowship in the Academy is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community. It entails a commitment to serve the Academy and advance the health sciences across all of the Fellow’s disciplines.

Dr. James R. Dunn (Jim) is a MAP scientist and a Professor of Health, Aging & Society and Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University. He is the Senator William McMaster Chair in Urban Health Equity and Director of the Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative. In 2025, he was awarded the CIHR-IPPH Trailblazer in Population and Public Health Award and the CMHC Gold Roof Award for Knowledge to Action. He has published over 100 papers in geography, public health, urban planning and epidemiology journals and shaped policies at all levels addressing the effects of income security, housing and neighbourhood built environments on health.

Dr. Kamran Khan is an internationally recognized infectious diseases physician, MAP scientist, Professor at the University of Toronto, and Founder and CEO of BlueDot. His research on outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging pathogens has revolutionized our understanding of epidemics in an interconnected world, while informing policy decisions during health emergencies. Dr. Khan’s entrepreneurial work focuses on the role of artificial intelligence and technological innovation to strengthen global epidemic surveillance and readiness for infectious disease emergencies. Drawing from his experiences as a clinician, scientist, and entrepreneur, he is a leading voice for fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Canadian health sciences.

“Election to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences acknowledges outstanding contributions to the health sciences,” says Dr. Trevor Young, President, CAHS. “We are proud of these Fellows’ accomplishments, and we are honoured to welcome them to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.”

News release – August 14, 2025

The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT), in partnership with REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto), has launched a three-year project to provide free and anonymous access to health and harm reduction supplies through Our Healthbox machines.

Our Healthboxes are interactive vending machines that offer items such as HIV self-test kits, pregnancy tests, condoms, naloxone, drug testing kits, and other health and wellness resources. Supplies are available at no cost, with no ID or appointment required. The machines also provide vital health information and a service directory to help people connect with local health care support services.

This initiative is designed to reduce barriers by placing essential health supplies in easily accessible locations. It supports the GNWT’s public health response to challenges such as the syphilis outbreak, illicit drug poisoning, and barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health supplies. 

Our Healthboxes are available in Behchokǫ̀ and Hay River, and will be available in Inuvik, and Yellowknife in the coming weeks. Contents will be tailored to each community and updated regularly using data and feedback to respond to local needs. 

The machines also promote 811, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer non-urgent health questions, provide guidance on using the resources, and refer callers to in-person services when needed. 

Our Healthboxes in the Northwest Territories join 15 others across Canada serving communities in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick. For more information about Our Healthbox please visit www.ourhealthbox.ca.

“Our Healthbox is one way we’re responding to serious public health issues in the NWT, including the syphilis outbreak, illicit drug poisoning, and the lack of access to essential health supplies without stigma or barriers. Everyone should be able to take care of their health in a way that feels safe, private, and respectful. This initiative meets people where they are and helps remove the barriers that stand in their way.”

– Lesa Semmler, Minister of Health and Social Services

“We’re excited to bring Our Healthbox to the Northwest Territories—a step forward in helping people get what they need to take care of their health. Access to basic health supplies shouldn’t depend on who you are or where you live. Our Healthbox is about breaking down barriers with compassion and dignity. By providing free, discreet access to essential supplies, we’re empowering people to take control of their health—without fear or shame. This is about building trust and creating a more inclusive future—one community at a time.”

 – Dr. Sean B. Rourke, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Director of REACH Nexus and Scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

Quick facts:

• The Our Healthbox Initiative is a free and private way to access important health and harm reduction supplies.
• It is available to anyone in the community, with no ID or appointment needed.
• Our Healthbox Initiative supports our response to serious public health issues in the NWT, including the syphilis outbreak, illicit drug poisoning, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health supplies without stigma or barriers.
• Contents are based on community needs and may include HIV self-test kits, pregnancy tests, condoms, Naloxone, drug testing kits, and other health and wellness supplies.
• Our Healthbox machines are easy to use, safe and completely anonymous.
• All items are free, and the machine is available at any time.
• Our Healthbox machines are available in the following locations:
  • Behchokǫ̀ – Sportsplex
  • Hay River – Community Centre
  • Yellowknife – Public Library
• Inuvik will also receive two Our Healthboxes at the Airport and at the Midnight Sun Complex later this month.
• Our Healthbox is part of a national research program led by REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto). REACH Nexus is an ambitious national research group working on how to address HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in Canada. 

For media requests, please contact: 
Andrew Wind
Manager, Communications 
Health and Social Services
Government of the Northwest Territories 
HSSmedia@gov.nt.ca
867-767-9052 ext. 49036

Andrew Russell
Senior Communications Specialist – REACH Nexus
MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital
andrew.russell@unityhealth.to
416-268-7642

MAP scientist and OurCare lead Dr. Tara Kiran explains the challenges, potential solutions and what’s working well now for primary care in Canada. She also gives a sneak peak of the second season of her Primary Focus podcast – where she take listeners behind the scenes of innovative clinics across the country.

Dr. Carolyn Snider was a guest on the Emergency Medicine Cases podcast to speak about what it means to be a leader in the field of emergency medicine. Dr. Snider is the former Chief of Emergency Medicine, Unity Health Toronto.

CityNews spoke with Dr. Mandana Vahabi about the new HPV screening guidance making detection easier and faster, to prevent cancer from developing and improve quality of life for women.

In this op-ed, Dr. Mandana Vahabi outlines how Ontario provincial government’s current HPV screening strategy has left many structurally marginalized women on the sidelines. She also shares the many benefits to switching to HPV self-tests to ensure access to cervical cancer screening for all.

This op-ed was also featured in the National Post and The Ottawa Citizen.

While cervical cancer screening is a routine part of health care for Canadians, many fall through the cracks. Dr. Mandana Vahabi‘s latest research found that offering self-screening kits to sex workers and former prisoners – who are some of the most under-screened populations in Ontario – broadened the reach of cervical cancer screening across the province. She spoke to the Toronto Star about these results.

From U of T

Mandana Vahabi, a champion of equitable access to reproductive health care for women, has been appointed Professor at the University of Toronto’s Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and Women’s Health Research Chair at Unity Health Toronto health care network, a jointly held position at the two institutions. She began her new role on September 1, 2024.

“I am honoured to be joining Bloomberg Nursing and Unity Health Toronto as a full professor and as the Women’s Health Research Chair. This position not only aligns with my commitment to advancing health equity but also demonstrates the focus of both institutions on supporting the care needs of diverse communities. I am excited to work together with students and faculty to continue to have an impact on women’s health,” says Vahabi who is also an alumna of Bloomberg Nursing having completed her PhD in 2003.

The Women’s Health Research Chair is made possible through the generosity of the Government of Ontario and St. Michael’s Hospital, a site of Unity Health Toronto. With this support, the Women’s Health Research Chair facilitates the integration of research, education, and clinical practice in advancing access and equity in women’s health. Vahabi’s research will be based at St. Michael’s Hospital’s MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions.

At Bloomberg Nursing, Vahabi joins a prestigious group of donor-funded, endowed research chair holders that highlight the significant role the Faculty plays in improving patient and population health on a global stage.

“We are very pleased to welcome Professor Mandana Vahabi back to Bloomberg Nursing where she first launched her research career as a PhD graduate, and look forward to our shared partnership with Unity Health Toronto as we continue to drive innovation in women’s health forward,” says Robyn Stremler, Dean of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.

As a researcher, Vahabi is a leader in addressing critical health disparities among structurally marginalized groups including refugees, immigrants, and sex workers.

She has most recently piloted a research study examining the impact of HPV self-sampling tests as an alternative to pap tests, to improve access to cervical cancer screening for women. As Ontario looks to adopt HPV cancer screening in replacement of traditional pap tests, Vahabi is currently advocating for the inclusion of HPV self-sampling tests as part of this new cancer screening guideline.

“Allowing women and those with a cervix to self-sample for HPV removes barriers to care access and gives women a sense of bodily autonomy. Here in Canada and around the world, the reproductive health of women is scrutinized without including women in decision-making about their own bodies. Using this self-administered test recognizes the values and care needs of many different cultural and ethno-racial groups and gives them freedom of choice over their own body and how they choose to receive care,” says Vahabi.

Cervical cancer is primarily caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and a transition to HPV screening would allow for more accurate detection of the disease and a person’s subsequent cancer risk. The new testing method would also increase the length of time between screening tests, from three to five years.

Many women avoid pap tests Vahabi says, for a variety of reasons including lack of knowledge and factors related to sexual violence and trauma, in addition to distrust of health care providers. A self-sample test, done in the privacy of the individual’s own home would greatly empower them.  

For Vahabi, research alone is not enough, but translating that knowledge into actionable policies is crucial for lasting change. Nurses she believes, are uniquely positioned to shape public health strategies and address these structural challenges facing women’s health. It is her hope, she adds, that the future of nursing will involve the implementation of innovative care models that prioritize health equity including improving health for women and underserved populations.

“Unity Health Toronto is committed to promoting and finding solutions for health equity and improving health outcomes for those facing barriers accessing care. We are thrilled to have Mandana join our MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s and further advance our world leading research centre dedicated to creating a healthier future for all,” says Sonya Canzian, Executive Vice President Clinical Programs, People, and Chief Nursing & Health Professions Officer.  “We are also looking forward to Mandana’s contributions to building our nursing research capacity through mentorship and leadership.”

One of Vahabi’s key priorities is to mentor and support emerging scholars to foster a diverse and inclusive research environment and encourage a broad range of perspectives. For her undergraduate students at Bloomberg Nursing, she is eager to help them broaden their knowledge about their own ability to impact the health of those around them.

“I really want my students to understand the critical importance of addressing health disparities and to recognize the wider role they can play in advancing justice and equity, in their own careers as nurses, and in their communities, says Vahabi, “if I can advance this understanding, then I have done my job.”

In this op-ed for Healthy Debate, Dr. Mohammad Karamouzian discusses the ways in which the research community could improve the peer-review system in a way that works for researchers, reviewers and editors.