The right to health: indigenous data sovereignty in Canada during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted Indigenous Peoples in Canada, highlighting preexisting health inequities. These disparities were exacerbated by inadequate data management policies across Canadian governments, which contribute to inaccurate health information and access challenges for Indigenous Nations. Indigenous data sovereignty, which recognizes the right of Indigenous Peoples to govern their own data, has been identified as essential for achieving self-determination and improving health outcomes. We focus on British Columbia (BC) given its unique health and data governance structure with First Nations. This policy paper examines the challenges related to health data management that arose during COVID-19 in BC, and the regulatory barriers hindering Indigenous health equity. We present four policy recommendations that address data issues as a promising avenue to reducing health inequities in Canada. This includes supporting research by and with Indigenous Peoples, promoting ethical responsibilities of non-Indigenous researchers, implementing anti-racism policies, and adopting Indigenous data management frameworks.