Disrupting the Status Quo in Public Health

Mind The Disruption

Samiya Abdi has trained thousands of public health practitioners to recognize the power that each of us has to do something different in the face of health inequities and injustice. Listen to this episode to learn from both Samiya and Heather Lokko – two seasoned public health professionals working at the provincial and local levels – about how to transform public health practice, teams, organizations, and systems from within to support more equitable communities and societies.

(00:00) Introduction

(02:23) Interview with Samiya Abdi

(39:54) Interview with Heather Lokko

Episode Guests: This episode explores disrupting public health systems, organization and practice to advance health equity with Samiya Abdi and Heather Lokko. Samiya Abdi is seconded for a year to lead the Black Health Education Collaborative as an Executive Director. Over the past 15 years Samiya has been working towards making the public health system more equitable, challenging intersecting forms of oppression, and understanding marginalization in knowledge production, research, and practice. Prior to joining BHEC Samiya was the Senior Program Specialist in Health Equity for Public Health Ontario. Samiya also possesses extensive experience in community engagement work, has co-founded international movements such as the Somali Gender Equity Movement and Famine Resisters alongside local initiatives such as Aspire2Lead and the Toronto Muslim Youth Political fellowship. She holds a Master’s in public health and a graduate diploma in social innovation and systems thinking. Reflective guest Heather Lokko has been a direct service provider, professional practice lead, program manager, and senior leader during her public health career. She is currently the Director of the Healthy Start Division at the Middlesex-London Health Unit. Additionally, she is MLHU’s Chief Nursing Officer. In this role, Heather leads health equity strategy, promotes practice excellence, and provides nursing leadership in local, regional, provincial, and national initiatives. Heather is the Community Co-Director of Western University’s Centre for Research on Health Equity and Social Inclusion, is on the board of directors for the London Intercommunity Health Centre, and is an Adjunct Research Professor at Western University. Heather is passionate about health equity, collective action, and building healthy families and communities.

Learn more:

Glossary of Essential Health Equity Terms (NCCDH, 2022)

Equity In Action (NCCDH, 2022)

Let's Talk: Health equity (NCCDH, 2013)

Let's Talk: Public health roles for improving health equity (NCCDH, 2013)

Organizational Capacity for Health Equity Action Initiative (NCCDH)

Episode credits: This episode is produced by Rebecca Cheff, Carolina Jimenez, and our host Bernice Yanful. Tia (Kristia) Maatta helped with editing and Mandy Walker helped with guest interviews for this episode. Coordination of communications, webpage development and dissemination are led by Caralyn Vossen. Technical production and original music by Chris Perry. Artwork by comet art + design. Mind the Disruption is a podcast by the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health. The NCCDH is hosted by St. Francis Xavier University and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Public Health Agency of Canada.