Evaluating Population-Level Interventions Shaping Social and Structural Violence and Health Inequity Among Vulnerable Populations

Violence and health inequities among sex workers and people who inject drugs (IDU) continue to be major problems within Canada and internationally. Our proposed program of research involves bringing together researchers from various disciplines and settings, knowledge users, and community organizations to evaluate how policies and interventions produce and reproduce violence and health inequities among sex workers and IDU in Canada, Thailand, and India. Included in our proposed work is research examining the effects of criminalization, urban development, stigma on violence and health inequities. We will also seek to inform and evaluate interventions that aim to reduce violence. Our proposed program of research also involves elaborate knowledge translation activities designed to optimize the uptake and integration of research findings into policy and program development. By bringing together this unique and diverse team, we seek to build synergies and address these gaps in knowledge, policy, and intervention, and thereby improve the health of vulnerable populations in Canada and elsewhere.