Annual Health Equity Summit

Dr. Harini Aiyer has a PhD in Community and Population Health Sciences from the University of Saskatchewan and a MHSc in Reproductive and Cancer Biology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her expertise lies in health equity, anti-oppressive methodologies, global health, and health professions education, which she applies to engage respectfully with communities and build authentic partnerships with an emphasis on equitable outcomes. She draws on her experiences as an immigrant in Canada while remaining mindful of the privileges and power dynamics in the spaces she navigates. Her work has been recognized through multiple awards, including the International Association for Medical Science Educators Student Research Grant and the Research Excellence Award in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Dr. Unjali Malhotra graduated residency in 2005 and developed a third-year family medicine residency program in women’s health, which she later completed alongside electives across Canada focused on contraception and menopause. She ran a successful women’s health practice in Toronto and worked at the Bay Centre for Birth Control. After moving to Vancouver, she became Medical Director of Options for Sexual Health, overseeing more than 60 clinics and improving access to contraception across urban, rural, and remote communities in BC. She practiced at Crossroads Obstetrics and Gynaecology, chaired the SOGC Foundation, and served on boards including the Canadian Menopause Society. Dr. Malhotra co-created UBC’s rural women’s health residency program and, as Medical Officer of Women’s Health at the First Nations Health Authority (2017–2025), advanced equity, patient rights, and HPV guidelines, earning multiple national awards.

Dr. Roula Kteily-Hawa is an Associate Professor of Family Studies and Human Development in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Western University. A passionate educator and researcher, Dr Hawa draws on her lived experience as a refugee to Canada and her deep commitment to social justice. She has vast experience in community-based participatory research and has spent over a decade engaging racialized and immigrant communities in Canada, including South Asian immigrant women, in the area of HIV prevention, resilience, mental health, and stigma reduction. Dr. Hawa is the Principal Investigator of the YSMENA Program, which focuses on sexual health and well-being of diaspora Middle Eastern and North African youth.

Insiya Mankani is the Policy and Advocacy Officer at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, where she helps advance the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policy landscape in Canada. In this role, she works closely with parliamentarians, policymakers, and community organizations to promote SRH equitable access to services and strengthen rights for marginalized and underserved populations. Prior to joining Action Canada, Insiya served at Human Rights Watch as the Senior Advocacy and Development Coordinator, supporting international human rights initiatives and advocacy campaigns. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, Insiya is committed to advancing human rights, health equity, and systemic change through policy, advocacy, and collaboration.

Dr. Farah M. Shroff, a South Asian Canadian public intellectual, is a global leader in advancing health equity and education. She is the founder of Health Together, where she champions the vision of Health for All on a Healthy Planet, with a focus on maternal mortality, women’s health, and the environment. A trusted policy expert, she has collaborated with governments in Canada and abroad and has served on the Board of Governors of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. Recognized by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health with the prestigious Takemi Fellowship in 2021–22, she continues to collaborate with colleagues at Harvard. Dr. Shroff also celebrates her South Asian heritage by teaching yoga, dance, meditation, and other cultural practices that foster holistic wellbeing.

Dr. Anne Hussain is a Naturopathic Doctor, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, and author of The Period Literacy Handbook. Her mission to empower others began with her personal journey navigating PCOS and the lack of reproductive health education in Karachi, Pakistan. She supports patients through all phases of menstrual life and addresses conditions such as PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, fertility, hormone health, and perimenopause with a compassionate, collaborative approach. In addition to hosting the podcast Phase to Phase: The Hormone Health Show, she partners with Canadian period equity organizations, translating over a decade of clinical expertise into tangible social change. Dr. Hussain believes that developing agency over your health is not only a personal act but also a powerful, political tool for demanding better care and shaping a healthier world.

Srutika Sabu (she/they) is a Malayali-Canadian doctor-turned-artist and Project Manager. With a background in primary care and community-based health research activism, she has led several initiatives promoting South Asian health, focusing on femme, queer, and trans communities across the United States and the Greater Toronto Area. Currently, Srutika serves as the IDEA Manager at ASAAP, where she oversees the WAGE Canada–funded Trans Power Project. This project empowers racialized trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals by providing sexual health workshops, capacity building, mentorship, and support services. Through her multifaceted approach, she integrates medical expertise, community engagement, and storytelling to foster inclusive health outcomes for marginalized populations.

Alisha Ali (they/them) is a neurodivergent non-binary artist and community organizer of Indo-Caribbean Trini and Singaporean-Tamil descent. Through their work at ASAAP, they have been instrumental in sexual health, sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBI) education, and harm reduction initiatives, particularly serving trans, queer, and South Asian & Indo-Caribbean femme communities. Alisha currently serves as the Project Coordinator for the WAGE Canada–funded Trans Power Project, which empowers racialized trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming individuals through sexual health workshops, capacity building, mentorship, and support services.