During the week of April 11-17, 2026, members of BORN’s Health Equity Advisory Group participated in and supported events focused on advancing racialized maternal health through both Minofest and Toronto Black Maternal Health Week (TBMHW).
The week began with the Minofest conference, where BORN’s Executive Director, Alicia St. Hill, delivered the keynote address. She spoke about data governance, accountability, and action, highlighting BORN’s ongoing efforts to drive meaningful change and improve maternal health outcomes for racialized communities.
There's a lot to get right in perinatal care. It's going to take courage. It's going to take humility. It's going to take partnership. It's going to take a willingness to act differently. And it's going to require connection and reciprocity with communities and care teams. ~Alicia St. Hill
Participants learned about several current initiatives including: advancing equity in preeclampsia prevention, examining the use of race-based data in prenatal screening for trisomy 21, developing a Black Health Equity Framework, and planning for the future development of BORNConnect and it's flagship product - the Digital Ontario Perinatal Record+. Across these discussions, a central theme emerged: the importance of trust, care, and meaningful data sharing with communities.
We're looking forward to shaping a shared path to equity. That means learning together, governing together, and acting together. ~ Alicia St. Hill
The week continued with TBMHW events, where the BORN team engaged with health leaders, clinicians, researchers, and community members committed to advancing Black and racialized maternal health. BORN hosted an information booth to facilitate conversations, share knowledge translation materials, and disseminate brochures and other resources with community members and partners. Staff also presented on current research and initiatives underway within the organization.
In collaboration with the Black Maternal Health Collective of Canada and the Centre de la Francophonie du Grand Toronto, BORN also supported the delivery of TBMHW’s inaugural French-language webinar, which focused on the lived realities of Black francophone people who give birth.
BORN’s participation in this year’s events strengthened existing partnerships and supported the development of new collaborations aimed at reducing barriers and improving pregnancy and birth outcomes for Black individuals and other racialized communities.
