Health research on South Asian communities must be led by South Asians, say researchers

Funding agencies in Canada need to review their policies for evaluating research proposals to ensure that South Asian research is conducted by South Asians, write authors in a commentary, titled “A call to stop extractive health research on South Asian diaspora communities in Canada,” in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Much of the health research conducted in Canada on South Asian diaspora communities has historically been marked by unequal power relations, rather than meaningfully engaging and benefiting these communities.

As the largest and fastest growing diverse visible minority in Canada, South Asian communities are diverse in language, culture, religion, migration history, and lived experience. Their health status and needs are equally diverse.

“When South Asian investigators do not lead the research, study findings are open to misguided interpretations that follow colonial bias and false cultural stereotypes, promote experimental bias, and uphold scientific and structural racism,” writes Dr. Gina Agarwal, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, with co-authors.

“This extractive practice, whereby the composition of the research team does not reflect the study population, is not uncommon and risks becoming worse as funding agencies and academic journals express interest in research examining and documenting the health patterns, practices, and lived experiences of racialized communities.”

Research teams conducting research on South Asian communities should include South Asian leads, and funders should include South Asian people in reviewing research grants.

“South Asian communities and academics must be meaningfully engaged in a health research process that acknowledges South Asian people as valuable health research leaders with lived experiences and expertise. This process should build accountability, ownership, and best practices in research involving South Asian participants and communities in Canada.”