New Black Lives Living Well: Know Your Numbers. It’s as Easy as ABC booklet is now available

The Black Lives Living Well: Know Your Numbers. It’s as easy as ABC booklet is a community-informed resource designed to support Black individuals and families in understanding their health, navigating the healthcare system, and advocating for the care they need.

More than a health guide, the resource aims to empower Black individuals and families and support healthier lives and communities.

Developed with the experiences and needs of Black communities, the booklet brings together practical health information and clinical expertise from Black physicians, wellness resources, and self-advocacy tools in one place. It is intended to help individuals feel informed, empowered, and supported in their healthcare journey while encouraging meaningful conversations between patients and healthcare providers.

The booklet includes:

• Basic health information that may require immediate attention
• Wellness tips to help set goals for a balanced and healthy life
• Information to support conversations between patients and healthcare providers about Black health
• Information about important health indicators such as blood sugar (A1C) blood pressure, cholesterol, and preventive health screening
• Health and mental wellness checklists to support self-monitoring and wellness planning
• A dedicated section with insights and recommendations from Black physicians to healthcare providers highlighting common medical myths, cultural competence, cultural humility and strategies for building trust with Black patients.
• Guidance on self-advocacy, navigating the healthcare system, and reporting discrimination in healthcare
• Information about community organizations and resources available across Nova Scotia and Canada
• A section for tracking personal health information and important health numbers

The Black Lives Living Well: Know Your Numbers. It’s as easy as ABC booklet is now available to Nova Scotia Health patients, staff, physicians, and healthcare providers. To help improve access to the resource, links to the booklet and companion video have been added to the Nova Scotia Brotherhood and Nova Scotia Sisterhood pages on the Nova Scotia Health website.

The booklet was created and coordinated by Dr. Marcia-Lisa Dennis as part of a collaborative project involving Nova Scotia Health, Nova Scotia Brotherhood, Nova Scotia Sisterhood, the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, and the Black Lives Living Well Initiative. The Black Lives Living Well Initiative is a national non-profit organization that supports Black Canadians through health education, advocacy, and efforts to address anti-Black racism and inequities across systems.