OTTAWA — The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has updated its code of ethics to eliminate racial discrimination and address systemic inequities in healthcare. The updated framework provides physicians with clearer guidance on delivering culturally safe, trauma-informed, and equitable care while respecting the traditional health knowledge and healing practices of Indigenous Peoples.
Developed as part of the CMA’s reconciliation action plan, the revised code has been made available online in four Indigenous languages: Anishinaabemowin, Michif, Northern Michif-Cree, and Inuktitut. CMA President Bolu Ogunyemi emphasized that racism and discrimination have no place in medicine and reiterated the association’s apology for historical harms inflicted on Indigenous communities, including forced medical experimentation, forced sterilization, and segregated Indian hospitals.
Under the new guidelines, racist and discriminatory behaviors are strictly prohibited. The code calls on physicians to actively support historically underserved populations, improve health outcomes, and adopt new standards that foster patient trust across generations of medical professionals.
