Why do 3 major diseases disproportionately impact Black Canadians? New genome project aims to find out – CBC

Findings may help doctors design and tailor better treatments, says project lead

Jan 28, 2026

In her 10 years as a health-care administrator, Cheryl Prescod has seen firsthand the ways Black Canadians can feel left behind by the blanket approach sometimes taken by the country’s health-care system.

As executive director at the Black Creek Community Health Centre in Toronto’s Jane and Finch neighbourhood. Prescod serves a diverse clientele, including a large proportion of Black and racialized individuals — people who say it can be difficult to access health care that makes them feel safe and culturally respected.

Black people are disproportionately impacted by certain diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and an aggressive form of breast cancer known as triple-negative. Starting on Feb. 1, researchers from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia are launching the genCARE project to map the genomes of more than 10,000 Black Canadians with these three diseases, as well as people who have no underlying medical conditions.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/gen-care-black-genome-9.7063779