Declaration on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) respects and values diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of its work. We recognize that Canada’s population—and CPHA’s membership—is increasingly diverse, and that our credibility as a national public health advocate depends on our ability to reflect and respond to that diversity with integrity, humility, and accountability.

We affirm that public health must be rooted in the dignity and human rights of all people. Diversity and inclusiveness are not just organizational values—they are essential evidence-based drivers of creativity, learning, and effective action. In accordance with our vision and mission, we commit to embedding these principles across our governance, operations, advocacy, and knowledge exchange activities.

CPHA acknowledges that health inequities are sustained by systems of power and oppression—colonialism, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, and other intersecting forms of stigma and discrimination. These systems are embedded in public health institutions, have a long history in Canadian public health systems, and have shaped CPHA’s own history and structures. These commitments are informed by extensive Canadian evidence that clearly document persistent and avoidable health inequities across populations.

We are committed to:

• A distinctions-based approach that upholds the unique rights, voices, and public health priorities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
• Structural transformation to confront and dismantle barriers to inclusive participation in our leadership, staffing, interactions, partnerships, and programming.
• Representative leadership that reflects the rich and dynamic diversity of Canada’s public health community.
• Deliberate engagement with equity-deserving communities as partners, not afterthoughts, in shaping our advocacy, research, and public platforms.
• Invited relationships with reciprocity, common goal setting, and long-term intent.

A more inclusive CPHA is a stronger CPHA—one where diverse perspectives strengthen our decisions, deepen our insight, and enhance our impact. This declaration reaffirms our responsibility and resolve to advance health equity by transforming how we work, who we engage, and what we stand for. Through sustained learning, action, and reflection, we commit to becoming an organization where equity is not optional but fundamental—where inclusion is not merely an aspiration, but equity is enacted through meaningful action.