Dr. Anna Banerji has dedicated her life’s work to the health and wellbeing of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth as a pediatrician, an infectious disease specialist and a human rights advocate. Also a recipient of the Order of Ontario, Dr. Banerji shows steadfast moral courage in her pursuit of fair healthcare services for Indigenous children and which has often brought her into direct conflict with the medical and civil service establishment.
Recognized internationally as a leading researcher in the field of lower respiratory tract infections in Canadian Inuit children, Dr. Banerji has done ground-breaking research on the causes of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections (LRTIs) which affect First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth disproportionately. Knowing the importance of strong government policies and health promotion programs to care for Indigenous children, Dr. Banerji continues to push policymakers, politicians and the medical community to accept the urgent need for strong and directed programs of care. She has also engaged the public at large in leading two petitions for equity for Indigenous children.
Dr. Banerji strives to improve cultural sensitivity and education for health care providers who work with Indigenous peoples and communities. She is recognized in the Indigenous community in Ontario as meaningfully engaging "with the Indigenous population, in a way that promotes respect, reciprocity, and reconciliation."
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Canada