Category: Academic Reportage

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Arushan Arulnamby, Policy Analyst, National Institute on Ageing, Toronto Metropolitan University

NBA star Tyrese Haliburton was recently diagnosed with shingles. The news drew attention to an illness that many people rarely talk about but is far more common than many realize.

In Canada, 130,000 people develop shingles each year. The infection can cause a painful rash and, for some, long-lasting pain that can affect their quality of life for months.

Yet shingles cases are also largely preventable through vaccination. Despite the availability of a highly effective vaccine, fewer than four in 10 Canadian adults aged 50 and older report having received the shingles vaccine.

As researchers focused on aging and vaccination at Toronto Metropolitan University’s National Institute on Ageing, we study vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccination policies and opportunities to improve prevention in Canada.

What is shingles?

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is an infection that typically appears as a painful rash with blisters. The virus responsible for shingles is the same virus that causes chickenpox.

After a chickenpox infection, the virus remains in the body and can reactivate when the immune system weakens due to aging, health conditions or certain treatments. People who received the chickenpox vaccine can also develop shingles, but the risk is much lower.

Symptoms often begin with itching, tingling or pain, followed by a rash that usually appears as a strip on one side of the body, most commonly on the torso. In some cases, the rash can appear on the face.

While the rash typically clears within a few weeks, shingles can lead to serious complications. The most common is post-herpetic neuralgia, pain that lasts more than 90 days and can affect daily activities.

If shingles affects the eye and surrounding area, it can cause scarring and vision loss.

Antiviral medications can reduce symptoms, but they are most effective when started within 72 hours of the rash appearing.

Who is most at risk?

As shingles often occurs when the immune system weakens, the risk increases with age and certain medical conditions.

More than two-thirds of shingles cases occur in adults older than 50, and incidence rises with advancing age.

People who are immuno-compromised, meaning their immune systems are weakened by disease or treatment, are at higher risk. This includes those with conditions such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and those who have undergone transplants.

Chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have also been associated with higher shingles incidence.

For many people with these conditions, shingles infections may be more severe, with a greater risk of complications.

The shingles vaccine

There is currently one shingles vaccine available in Canada: Shingrix (generic name non-live zoster vaccine recombinant, adjuvanted), which is given in two doses.

Clinical trials have consistently shown this vaccine provides strong protection against shingles and its complications across multiple populations, with 97 per cent effectiveness against shingles among immuno-competent adults aged 50 and older over three years. The vaccine has also been found to be generally well tolerated among immuno-competent adults aged 50 and older and immuno-compromised adults aged 18 and older.

Recent research shows the vaccine remains highly effective even in the 11th year after vaccination, with 82 per cent effectiveness against shingles among immuno-competent adults aged 50 and older.

Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) strongly recommends Shingrix for adults aged 50 and older, including those who previously received the earlier shingles vaccine (Zostavax, generic name zoster vaccine live) or who have had shingles. NACI also strongly recommends Shingrix for immuno-compromised adults aged 18 and older.

The second dose of Shingrix is recommended two to six months after the first dose. For immuno-compromised adults, however, the second dose can be administered at least four weeks after the first dose.

Vaccine coverage remains low in Canada

Despite strong recommendations and a highly effective vaccine, shingles vaccination rates remain relatively low in Canada.

As of 2023, only 38 per cent of adults aged 50 and older reported having received at least one dose of the shingles vaccine. In some provinces and territories, vaccination rates are even lower, falling to around 25 per cent.

One reason is that public coverage for the shingles vaccine varies widely across Canada. Currently, eight of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories provide some level of public coverage for Shingrix, often limited to specific age groups or high-risk populations.

Only Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador provide coverage for all adults aged 50 and older. Newfoundland and Labrador also covers immuno-compromised adults aged 18 and older.

For those without public coverage, the two-dose vaccine costs roughly $300 to $400, which must be paid out of pocket or through private insurance.

Perception of risk may also play a role in low vaccination rates. One national survey found that 72 per cent of adults aged 50 and older in Canada either do not know or underestimate their risk of developing shingles.

In surveys of older Canadians, the most commonly reported reason for not receiving the shingles vaccine was the belief that vaccination was unnecessary.

Other factors related to vaccine delivery may also influence uptake, including barriers to pharmacist provision and a lack of recommendations from health-care providers.

Preventing this painful infection

Shingles is a common and often painful infection, but it is also largely preventable through vaccination.

Approaches to prevention include increasing awareness, improving vaccine access, encouraging health-care provider recommendations and urging those at higher risk to speak with a health-care provider about shingles vaccination.

These measures can help increase vaccination rates across Canada and prevent a disease that can unnecessarily have a negative impact on people’s overall quality of life.

Arushan Arulnamby is a Policy Analyst at the National Institute on Ageing based at Toronto Metropolitan University. Arushan Arulnamby is the lead author of a shingles white paper developed by the National Institute on Ageing. This report received funding in the form of an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline Inc., a manufacturer of shingles vaccines. None of the authors received personal compensation directly from GlaxoSmithKline Inc. Arushan Arulnamby represents the National Institute on Ageing in the Adult Vaccine Alliance, a coalition focused on improving adult vaccination access in Canada.

Dr. Samir K. Sinha is the Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing based at Toronto Metropolitan University. Dr. Sinha is the senior author of a shingles white paper developed by the National Institute on Ageing. This report received funding in the form of an unrestricted educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline Inc, a manufacturer of shingles vaccines. None of the authors received personal compensation directly from GlaxoSmithKline Inc. Dr. Sinha is also a PI on a number of other foundation and research council grants including CIHR, SSHRC and the Slaight Family Foundation.

– ref. What to know about shingles, a painful infection that vaccination can prevent – https://theconversation.com/what-to-know-about-shingles-a-painful-infection-that-vaccination-can-prevent-277961

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jennifer Brant, Associate Professor in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

The recent news that Canadian writer Thomas King does not have Indigenous ancestry has prompted necessary conversations across literary communities about the need to vet accurate representations.

An award-winning author, King was positioned as one of the most widely taught Indigenous authors in North America. His work featured prominently on high school and university syllabi, and on library reading lists.

He has received the Order of Canada and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for arts and culture, the latter of which he told the Globe and Mail he intended to return after learning there is no evidence he has Cherokee ancestry.

King’s work was often praised for its accessibility for broad audiences, particularly non-Indigenous readers encountering Indigenous literature and realities for the first time.

The widespread acceptance and celebration of King’s work stands in contrast to the experiences of many Indigenous authors and artists, whose work, while more culturally relevant, is often seen as less palatable.

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Read more:
Sovereignty over stereotypes: The data behind false Cherokee identity claims in Canada

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Insights from the Indigenous Literatures Lab

The Indigenous Literatures Lab at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto is a literary hub that seeks to build bridges between academic researchers, school practitioners and Indigenous communities.

As members of the lab, we’re interested in directing readers toward the vast field of Indigenous literature that expands, contradicts, integrates and challenges the western literary canon. Part of this means introducing new literary genres that are core to Indigenous philosophies, world views and understandings of non-linear time.

King’s legacy

In addition to replacing King’s works from reading lists, syllabi or bookshelves, we implore readers — including educators who may have selected his books to teach — to consider how King became so ubiquitous in the first place — and what gaps his teachings left unfilled as a result of his lack of lived experience.

We believe part of the answer lies in how King was so often framed as digestible and accessible to a non-Indigenous readership, including through his CBC Massey Lectures, The Truth about Stories: A Native Narrative.

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Read more:
Thomas King: As we learn another ‘hero’ is non-Indigenous, let’s not ignore a broader cultural problem

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The late Mohawk writer Beth Brant beautifully articulated the truth about stories in her 1994 work, Writing as Witness: Essay and Talk, a book released long before King shared his false truths at Massey Hall in 2003.

Brant’s work examines stories as inter-generational, transcendent of time, ceremonial, spiritual and relational. Was Brant too political to be a mainstream figure of reconciliation? Were her calls to justice not palatable enough for a settler audience?

We offer stories that are unapologetically Indigenous, complex, uniquely beautiful and rightfully palatable. Extending the work of Cree/Metis scholar Kim Anderson, these stories offer a true recognition of being. They holistically embody the nuances of Indigeneity and expand beyond the racial tropes and gender binaries imposed upon Indigenous Peoples.

We invite non-Indigenous readers to ethically engage through an anti-colonial reading lens that honours the spirit and intent of Indigenous writers.

A critical expansion and intervention

We recently launched a series of reading circles to support informed dialogue and praxis for engaging Indigenous literatures.

Our conversation around the allure of King’s work was prompted by our reading of Katherena Vermette’s 2025 novel, Real Ones. This novel was reminiscent of the experiences and harm that accompany false claims to Indigenous identity among celebrated icons.

Real Ones offers important reflections on the rippling effects of false claims to Indigenous identity and the ongoing harm inflicted when people appropriate and misrepresent the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples.

Conversely, the situation underscores the importance of what Cherokee scholar Daniel Heath Justice has referred to as “good medicine” stories.

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Read more:
Sovereignty over stereotypes: The data behind false Cherokee identity claims in Canada

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Such stories are life affirming and extend community narratives of strength — whether they’re on cusp of fantastical and realist fiction or they’re breathtaking “wonderworks” that mark new worlds and trouble the settler colonial imaginary.

Reconceptualizing ‘the truth about stories’

Since the public news of King’s false identity claims, there have been numerous posts on social media pages that vet resources of Indigenous content. For instance, there’s been an uptake in posts seeking replacement texts for King’s Borders or The Inconvenient Indian in online discussions among teachers of Indigenous content.

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Read more:
First Voices: New Grade 11 English courses can support reconciliation and resurgence by centring Indigenous literature

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As our research continues to examine, there’s much to discuss when teaching Indigenous literature. Readers should not be limited by the literary themes forwarded by false identity claims.

We also know it’s not enough for teachers to simply introduce Indigenous literature. The texts must be accompanied by anti-racist teaching practices.

For these reasons, rather than offer “replacement” texts for King’s work, we reconceptualize “the truth about stories.”

In doing so, we recommend some that resist settler myths about Indigeneity and reclaim the creative intellectualism of Indigenous storytelling.

Recommended books

Joshua Whitehead’s Johnny Appleseed offers an Indigiqueer coming-of-age delight exploring Indigenous boyhood from a two-spirit lens and examines notions of maternal figures, love and kinship.

Sara General’s beautiful collection of short stories and other writings, Spirit and Intent, weaves in Haudenosaunee teachings alongside contemporary visions. The fantastical and imaginative connections to writers like Tolkien alongside the everyday experiences of Indigenous womanhood situate this collection in a wider body of literature concerned with Indigenous futures.

Drew Hayden Taylor’s Crees in the Caribbean is a story about “human connection across cultures … comic joy of love rekindled and self-discovery.” Taylor cites the sheer power, presence and quality of Indigenous humour as having immense influence.

Lee Maracle’s Ravensong is a timeless coming-of-age novel that centres the restoration of matriarchal authority — what the work of Jennifer Brant, founding director of the Indigenous Literatures Lab, has described as “matriarchal worlding.”

Alicia Elliot’s And Then She Fell is a riveting debut novel that weaves storytelling with the everyday contemporary realities of Indigenous womanhood. As a novel defined as realist fiction on the cusp of fantasy and horror, And Then She Fell shape-shifts between realism and the fantastical, and is a brilliant “wonderwork.”

The graphic anthology This Place: 150 Years Retold brings forward elements of wonderworks and speculative fiction, examining Canadian history over the last 150 years from the point of view of Indigenous authors and creatives.

We hope readers are inspired to select one of the many books championed here and on our thematically curated reading list, all of which provide thoughtful narratives that align with the lived realities of Indigenous readers.

Reimagining reading lists

We hope that readers and educators are now reimagining their reading lists and recommitting to Indigenous literature in the wake of the King controversy.

We celebrate that there’s no shortage of extraordinary Indigenous writers to choose from, whose work unsettles and expands literary study beyond broad accessibility.

“The truth about stories” is that Indigenous Peoples have been telling stories since time immemorial. As literature scholar Heath Justice notes, these ancient and contemporary literary traditions are “inclusive of all the ways we embody our stories” and include ceremonial teachings, social exchanges and pathways towards Indigenous futures.

Jennifer Brant receives funding from SSHRC.

Erenna Morrison, Gayatri Thakor, Jasmine Rice, and Miyopin Cheechoo do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The real truth about stories: Book recommendations from the Indigenous Literatures Lab – https://theconversation.com/the-real-truth-about-stories-book-recommendations-from-the-indigenous-literatures-lab-275982

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sadaf Mehrabi, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University

Every March, the United Nations marks World Water Day to raise awareness about water scarcity and inequality. This year’s theme — water and gender — focuses on how women and girls often face the brunt of water inequities.

Highlighting how unequal access to water impacts women and girls is essential, but even when issues of leadership and participation are acknowledged, the dominant narrative remains incomplete.

Gender inequity is still framed primarily as a problem of access and representation. It’s also a governance problem.

When people hear “water and gender,” a familiar image may come to mind: women and girls in the Global South walking long distances to collect water, missing out on education and employment as a result. That reality remains urgent but the conversation cannot stop there.

In high-income countries, gendered water inequities have not vanished but shifted into less visible forms embedded in governance, trust and crisis response. These inequities are not limited to moments of failure; they are built into how water systems are governed.

Modern water infrastructure creates an image of neutrality and efficiency. Water appears as a service delivered through pipes and utilities. However, even when systems function, decisions about risk, cost and communication are not neutral.

When systems fail and crises occur, gendered burdens become more visible in households: managing bottled water, protecting children, bearing financial and emotional strain and navigating institutions that may no longer be trusted.

Water burdens and governance

The years-long water crisis in Flint, Mich., made gendered inequities painfully clear. Residents experienced sustained stress, anxiety and financial hardship alongside a collapse in trust in public institutions. But for women in particular, the crisis meant more than inconvenience.

Research shows that when confidence in piped water collapsed, the burden of securing safe water shifted back onto households, disproportionately onto women as they navigated conflicting official advice and decided which water sources could be trusted for different household uses.

Water crises are not just technical malfunctions but governance failures that redistribute risk and responsibility downward.

Another example comes from Detroit, where households had their water supply shut off due to unpaid water bills. The shutoffs disproportionately impacted low-income and racially marginalized women and their families.

In Canada, nearly 40 long-term drinking water advisories persist in Indigenous communities where, often, women hold domestic responsibilities as water carriers and advocates for water stewardship.

These examples highlight how even in “developed countries” water inequity can emerge through health, systemic and policy issues. These outcomes are not accidental but produced by water system governance.

Water decisions are made by regulators, municipalities and other public agencies. These institutions determine which risks are prioritized, how problems are framed, and whose concerns are taken seriously, often compounding challenges for those at the intersection of gender, race, income and caregiving roles.

Those with the most power over water policy, from governments to the heads of international organizations, are still predominantly men. This shapes not only who is represented, but how risks are interpreted and decisions are made.

When leadership spaces remain narrow, so do the assumptions behind water policy. This is where gender becomes an issue. One way this becomes visible is in how people perceive and respond to water crises.

Research consistently shows that more diverse decision-making groups produce more effective, equitable and sustainable outcomes. This is a finding reflected in global governance frameworks such as those advanced by UN Women.

Yet, increasing diversity in these spaces is not just a matter of access or representation. It is also shaped by how majority groups respond to the threats embedded in water crises that can influence how underrepresented individuals are viewed, judged or heard.

Trust and decision-making in water relations

Water crises are often both technical and psychological problems. How these crises are framed can evoke fear. Decades of social psychology research has found that when people face existential threats, they tend to disengage, deny risk or gravitate toward those with similar identity and values, which creates distance from those who are different.

In our research, we found that these responses can reinforce gender biases in how water decision-makers are perceived and evaluated. People may be more likely to trust those who look like them, making it harder to diversify decision-making spaces precisely when diverse perspectives are needed most.

In systems where leadership is already concentrated, they can reinforce existing power structures and narrow whose expertise is trusted. If water governance is to be both effective and inclusive, these psychological dynamics cannot be ignored.

Importantly, other emotional responses bring opportunities for enhanced water relations. Awe, empathy and compassion can strengthen feelings of connection, belonging and trust. These are essential components for effective water governance and diplomacy.

Resilient water systems depend on more than engineering capacity. They depend on institutional legitimacy and public trust. Research on water reuse, one of the most contested areas of water policy, shows that public support varies widely depending on experience, perceived risk and confidence in water systems.

Towards gender equity in water governance

A serious water policy agenda should do at least three things:

First, move beyond diversity head counts. Utilities and regulators should track both representation as well as who holds decision-making authority, especially during crises.

Without transparency about who shapes operational, emergency and communication decisions, commitments to equity remain superficial.

Second, governments must consider women’s unequal burden in crisis planning. Water policy continues to assume uniform public behaviour and equal capacity and responsibility to adapt.

However, emergency frameworks should assess how crisis communication, compliance demands and service disruptions will affect different groups, especially those with care-giving responsibilities, low incomes or limited institutional trust.

Third, apply gender analysis where systems fail, not just where systems are measured. Analytical tools such as Gender-Based Analysis Plus help highlight all who are impacted by the issue or action at hand, identify and address challenges early, and call attention to ways in which actions can be tailored to meet diverse needs.

However, these tools should be used not only for access and representation but also for system governance, emergency response, affordability pressures, policy development and public communication. This is where governance decisions most clearly translate into unequal lived outcomes.

World Water Day’s focus on gender is a start, but it’s not enough. If gender inequity is treated only as an access issue, we miss how it shapes authority, trust and decision-making. Water policy may appear gender-neutral, but it’s not. Crises makes this visible. They do not create inequity but expose what governance has already produced.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. World Water Day: Three steps towards gender equity in water governance – https://theconversation.com/world-water-day-three-steps-towards-gender-equity-in-water-governance-279048