Major Research Papers - Health
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Item Open Access The Liberal Party of Canada’s Proposal for Nationwide Universal Pharmacare: Informing the Path Forward Via International Comparison(2021-11-12) Wadhawa, Sapna; Raphael, Dennis; Chaufan, ClaudiaIn 2019, the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) tabled the most recent proposal (Hoskins Report) for nationwide Pharmacare. It made sixty recommendations on how to achieve universal drug coverage in Canada. Since the 1943 draft proposal for public health insurance, several periodic proposals for nationwide Pharmacare have been put forward at the federal level. A narrative review of these proposals established nationwide Pharmacare is once againon the table federally. To inform the path forward, this study compared the Canadian approach to prescription drug coverage with that of the United Kingdom (UK). Canada and the UK were compared in three clusters: (a) the levels and sources of expenditures on prescription drugs; (b) the levels and distribution of pharmaceutical insurance associated with prescription drug spending; and (c) the health outcomes “produced.” Recommendations were then provided for implementation of nationwide Pharmacare. I argue that a rapidapproach is needed by the federal governmentto implement the service. The steps taken towardsa Pharmacare inclusive Medicare systemmust be fast-tracked. This type of system is observed to be the norm in high income countries. Several findings indicated poor trends in health system performance and production of health inequalities under the current system for prescription drug coverage. The Hoskins Report concretely places Pharmacare on the political agenda, creating a window of opportunity for the federal government to employ a rapidapproach.Item Open Access Indigenous Youth Mental Health in Canada: A WPR Approach to Canada’s (In)Action in Response to Suicide Crises(2020-10) Victoria, Francavilla; Marrow, Marina; Hillier, SeanAcross Canada, Indigenous Peoples have been resilient to active colonization for more than 400 years, all the while upholding their traditional values, systems, and ways of being. However, despite this resilience, Indigenous youth experience disproportionate and elevated rates of negative mental health outcomes, including elevated rates of suicides. Canadian mental health policy has not been responsive to the needs of Indigenous youth, often ignoring the specific needs of Indigenous communities in documents that are meant to guide programming and responses. In this Major Research Paper (MRP) I review one such key document -the Mental Health Commission of Canada's (MHCC) 2016 recommendations in its report titled The Mental Health Strategy for Canada: A Youth Perspective. This document is the broadest reaching and most current official document addressing the issue of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) youth mental health at a Federal level. By analysing the narrative used throughout this document one can learn how the solutions proposed may actually be failing to address the root causes of the issue at hand. Using Carol Bacchi’s WPR (What’s the Problem Represented to be?) approach, it will become evident as to why these responses are not wholly conducive to achieving better mental health outcomes for Indigenous youth. Following this discussion, I will highlight the progress that is being made in various Indigenous communities in a variety of culturally relevant, safe, and sensitive ways. Communities who are thriving and who are working towards positive change for youth are the experts in this case, as they have the knowledge and are taking up practices which are created from themselves, not for them. These practices have the potential to influence policy, as they are paving the way for a better response in cases of Indigenous youth suicide. When systems are put in place that truly benefit the community, this has a profound effect by influencing community members, researchers, academics, and policymakers alike, and also highlights the shortcomings of existing governmental action. As a non-Indigenous person, I engaged in reflexivity throughout my research and situate myself as an ally.Item Open Access Critical Analysis of National Nutrition Policy and Strategies of India(2021-04-30) Sayeed, Shurovi; Chaufan, Claudia; Sridharan, SanjeevAbstract Global malnutrition and food insecurity are rising. The root cause of both malnutrition and food insecurity is poverty. Despite a remarkable increase in food production, developing countries show alarming rates of child malnutrition. India is a good example of this dichotomy. The country that harbours one-third of the world’s malnourished children is also one of the world's largest food grain exporters. Moreover, India has had the world’s most extensive government funded nutrition intervention programs.A National Nutrition Policy (NNP) was enacted in 1993, one of the earliest submitted in response to the World Health Organization’s call for countries to develop a NNP. India’s poverty reduction strategy and food policy are also aligned with NNP. Nevertheless, despite these massive initiatives, India’s nutrition problem remains a major public health concern. India’s nutrition problems and national nutrition programmes are generalizable to other agro based South East Asian developing countries.This study’s objective was to explain why nutrition policy and strategies failed to address malnutrition in India. A critical discourse analysis approach was used to show textual and contextual dimensions of government policy documents in relation to the neoliberal policy and practice. A political economy lens was employed to illustrate the global food politics context perpetuating persistent hunger and child malnutrition. The study revealed that India’s recent National Nutrition Strategy and National Nutrition Mission does not adequately address the lack of quality protein, fruits and vegetables and that the heavy reliance on grain is due to the government's sole support of rice and wheat production. The study also revealed that transnational agro-industries, international banking and donor organizations heavily influence India’s food and agriculture policy. Finally, it identified a shift in the policy, from challenging neoliberalItem Open Access The Politics of Family Policies: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Ontario’s Early Learning and Childcare Policy 2017-2020(2021-03-31) Sandhu, Navdeep; Raphael, Dennis; Chaufan, ClaudiaJustin Trudeau, the leader of the Liberal Party since 2013, released the Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework in 2017 to encourage the delivery of early learning and child careservices on the principles of high quality, accessibility, affordability, flexibility, and inclusivity across Canada (Japel& Friendly, 2018). Following the Framework, the Federal Government of Canada signed 13 bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to financially support each of theirearly learning and child careservices (Japel & Friendly, 2018).Inactions are just as relevant to public policy decisions as are actions while the former retains the status quo the latter brings change (Bryant, 2015). Therefore, it was important to discuss whether Ontario’s Bilateral Agreement is an act of inaction or action in the realm of family policies, specifically early learning and child care. Ideas and institutions were the key factors in this paper’sanalysis of understanding policy change (Beland, 2005). Ideas and institutions are important to consider because former enacted policies and formal political institutions affect policy reform and policy change. To do this, the paper involves a political economy analysis, through Critical Discourse Analysis, guided by the Discursive Institutionalism framework, to assess whether Ontario’s Agreement contributes to the expansion or shrinkage of the provinces’ early learning and child caresystem. The policy analysis wassummarized into key findings, followed with its interpretation, and final concludes with recommendations.Item Open Access The Impact of Islamophobia on the Mental Health of Muslim Post-Secondary Students(2021-08-12) Khan, Khan, Zainab; Raphael, Dennis; Marrow, MarinaItem Open Access The Problem of Power in ADHD: A Scoping Review(2020-06-10) Joseph, Abraham; Marrow, Marina; Wiktorowicz, MaryAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become the most diagnosed mental health issue for children worldwide. There are substantive critiques of the psychiatric basis for the conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment that dominate the ADHD context. ADHD discourse and practice are largely influenced by the biomedical framework of mental health and illness. The pervasive, continued acceptance of the dominant biomedical ADHD narrative is problematic in terms of addressing mental health care needs as well as illustrative of the influence and power that psychiatry wields with respect to the ADHD landscape. Further, there is a lack of focus on the concept of power within the ADHD literature. This paper presents a power framework that locates the influence of psychiatric power vis-à-vis instrumental power, structural power, and discursive power. Operationalizing the dimensions of psychiatric power highlights the access points for resistance efforts aiming to counter and disrupt the status quo in ADHD from research to practice.Item Open Access Comparative Critical Policy Analysis of SARS and COVID-19 Policy Responses to PSW Mental Health(2021-11) Glockmann-Musto, Santina; Chaufan, Claudia; Syed, IffathThis Major Research Project (MRP)assesses policy responses to the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Personal Support Workers (PSWs), a segment of frontline workers, in Canada. Specifically, Iassess how the experience of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)epidemicis informing policy responses to the mental health challenges experienced by PSWs under COVID-19. Despite the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Canada reporting over half a million cases and over 15,000 deaths due to COVID-19 as of December 31st, 2020, this is not the first emergency of its kind in Canada. In 2003, the outbreak of SARS led to close to 500 cases and 44 deaths, resulting in the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada. It was then reported that PSWs who provided care to SARS patients experienced poor mental health outcomes -anxiety, occupational burnout, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which persisted twoyears after the epidemic. COVID-19, substantially more impactful, poses a much greater challenge to the mental health of PSWs. Drawing from a Marxist Feminist perspective –most PSW are low-income and female -thiscritical comparative policy analysis appraises publicly available documents (e.g., Learning from SARS –Renewal of Public Health in Canada) that represent SARS and COVID-19 policy responses. Preliminary findings suggest that policy responses so far have almost entirely missed key lessons learned from the SARS experience. Myanalysis elaborates on these findings and their implications for practice, policy, and equity.Item Open Access Applying a Health Justice Framework to Examine Visitation Policies in Canadian Federal Penitentiaries and Psychiatric Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic(2021-11) Bailey, Megan; van Dreumel, Lynda; Shnier, AdrienneThe COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated inequities in policy development and implementation of emergency intervention strategies. This study addresses the equitable access to visitation in COVID-19 emergency intervention strategies between comparable total institutional settings. This multiple-case design encompassed two selected custodial environments and was compared using the implemented emergency policies surrounding visitation. In comparing the institutionalized settings of psychiatric hospitals and federal penitentiaries in Ontario, it draws appraisals for equity and health justice-based analysis. These emergency intervention policies focused on visitation vary based on institutional influence, interests, and ideas that are consequently highlighted within this study. The findings of this study reflect a lack of consistency in emergency responsesurrounding visitation policies across psychiatric facilities and federal penitentiaries located within Ontario and uncover discrepancies in policies within the various Ontario psychiatric facilities. These findings lead to an analysis rooted in the framework of human rights and social justice that propel a unique discussion surrounding health justice in the context of Canadian institutionalized settings. The study concluded by considering health justice as a framework in practical and theoretical policy development and implementation to promote health equity and the approach to social justice from a health and equity perspective.Item Open Access The Impact of Islamophobia on the Mental Health of Muslim Post-Secondary Students(2021-08) Khan, Zainab; Raphael, Dennis; Marrow, MarinaItem Open Access The Problem of Power in ADHD: A Scoping Review(2020-10) Joseph, Abraham; Marrow, Marina; Wiktorowicz, MaryAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become the most diagnosed mental health issue for children worldwide. There are substantive critiques of the psychiatric basis for the conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment that dominate the ADHD context. ADHD discourse and practice are largely influenced by the biomedical framework of mental health and illness. The pervasive, continued acceptance of the dominant biomedical ADHD narrative is problematic in terms of addressing mental health care needs as well as illustrative of the influence and power that psychiatry wields with respect to the ADHD landscape. Further, there is a lack of focus on the concept of power within the ADHD literature. This paper presents a power framework that locates the influence of psychiatric power vis-à-vis instrumental power, structural power, and discursive power. Operationalizing the dimensions of psychiatric power highlights the access points for resistance efforts aiming to counter and disrupt the status quo in ADHD from research to practice.Item Open Access Comparative Critical Policy Analysis of SARS and COVID-19 Policy Responses to PSW Mental Health(2021-11) Glockmann-Musto, Santina; Chaufan, Claudia; Syed, IffathThis Major Research Project (MRP)assesses policy responses to the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Personal Support Workers (PSWs), a segment of frontline workers, in Canada. Specifically, Iassess how the experience of the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)epidemicis informing policy responses to the mental health challenges experienced by PSWs under COVID-19. Despite the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Canada reporting over half a million cases and over 15,000 deaths due to COVID-19 as of December 31st, 2020, this is not the first emergency of its kind in Canada. In 2003, the outbreak of SARS led to close to 500 cases and 44 deaths, resulting in the establishment of the Public Health Agency of Canada. It was then reported that PSWs who provided care to SARS patients experienced poor mental health outcomes -anxiety, occupational burnout, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which persisted twoyears after the epidemic. COVID-19, substantially more impactful, poses a much greater challenge to the mental health of PSWs. Drawing from a Marxist Feminist perspective –most PSW are low-income and female -thiscritical comparative policy analysis appraises publicly available documents (e.g., Learning from SARS –Renewal of Public Health in Canada) that represent SARS and COVID-19 policy responses. Preliminary findings suggest that policy responses so far have almost entirely missed key lessons learned from the SARS experience. Myanalysis elaborates on these findings and their implications for practice, policy, and equity.Item Open Access Applying a Health Justice Framework to Examine Visitation Policies in Canadian Federal Penitentiaries and Psychiatric Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic(2021-11) Bailey, Megan; van Dreumel, Lynda; Shnier, AdrienneThe COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated inequities in policy development and implementation of emergency intervention strategies. This study addresses the equitable access to visitation in COVID-19 emergency intervention strategies between comparable total institutional settings. This multiple-case design encompassed two selected custodial environments and was compared using the implemented emergency policies surrounding visitation. In comparing the institutionalized settings of psychiatric hospitals and federal penitentiaries in Ontario, it draws appraisals for equity and health justice-based analysis. These emergency intervention policies focused on visitation vary based on institutional influence, interests, and ideas that are consequently highlighted within this study. The findings of this study reflect a lack of consistency in emergency responsesurrounding visitation policies across psychiatric facilities and federal penitentiaries located within Ontario and uncover discrepancies in policies within the various Ontario psychiatric facilities. These findings lead to an analysis rooted in the framework of human rights and social justice that propel a unique discussion surrounding health justice in the context of Canadian institutionalized settings. The study concluded by considering health justice as a framework in practical and theoretical policy development and implementation to promote health equity and the approach to social justice from a health and equity perspective.Item Open Access Indigenous Youth Mental Health in Canada: A WPR Approach to Canada's (In) Action in Response to Suicide Crises(2020-10-02) Francavilla, Victoria; Hillier, Sean; Morrow, MarinaAcross Canada, Indigenous Peoples have been resilient to active colonization for more than 400 years, all the while upholding their traditional values, systems, and ways of being. However, despite this resilience, Indigenous youth experience disproportionate and elevated rates of negative mental health outcomes, including elevated rates of suicides. Canadian mental health policy has not been responsive to the needs of Indigenous youth, often ignoring the specific needs of Indigenous communities in documents that are meant to guide programming and responses. In this Major Research Paper (MRP) I review one such key document - the Mental Health Commission of Canada's (MHCC) 2016 recommendations in its report titled The Mental Health Strategy for Canada: A Youth Perspective. This document is the broadest reaching and most current official document addressing the issue of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis (FNIM) youth mental health at a Federal level. By analysing the narrative used throughout this document one can learn how the solutions proposed may actually be failing to address the root causes of the issue at hand. Using Carol Bacchi’s WPR (What’s the Problem Represented to be?) approach, it will become evident as to why these responses are not wholly conducive to achieving better mental health outcomes for Indigenous youth. Following this discussion, I will highlight the progress that is being made in various Indigenous communities in a variety of culturally relevant, safe, and sensitive ways. Communities who are thriving and who are working towards positive change for youth are the experts in this case, as they have the knowledge and are taking up practices which are created from themselves, not for them. These practices have the potential to influence policy, as they are paving the way for a better response in cases of Indigenous youth suicide. When systems are put in place that truly benefit the community, this has a profound effect by influencing community members, researchers, academics, and policymakers alike, and also highlights the shortcomings of existing governmental action. As a non-Indigenous person, I engaged in reflexivity throughout my research and situate myself as an ally.Item Open Access The Problem of Power in ADHD: A Scoping Review(2020-06-10) Joseph, Abraham; Morrow, Marina; Wiktorowicz, MaryAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has become the most diagnosed mental health issue for children worldwide. There are substantive critiques of the psychiatric basis for the conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment that dominate the ADHD context. ADHD discourse and practice are largely influenced by the biomedical framework of mental health and illness. The pervasive, continued acceptance of the dominant biomedical ADHD narrative is problematic in terms of addressing mental health care needs as well as illustrative of the influence and power that psychiatry wields with respect to the ADHD landscape. Further, there is a lack of focus on the concept of power within the ADHD literature. This paper presents a power framework that locates the influence of psychiatric power vis-à-vis instrumental power, structural power, and discursive power. Operationalizing the dimensions of psychiatric power highlights the access points for resistance efforts aiming to counter and disrupt the status quo in ADHD from research to practice.Item Open Access Towards an Orthodox Marxist Critique of Critical Health Policy(2020-08-31) Torrence, Ryan; Chaufan, Claudia; Pilon, DennisCritical health policy researchers have, over the past few decades, shown beyond doubt the connection between socioeconomic inequalities and disparities in health and disease outcomes. The evidence is strong enough that mainstream outlets like the World Health Organization now acknowledge the centrality of the social determinants of health. However, researchers and activists have largely been frustrated in their attempts to mobilize this knowledge into practice. By most accounts, social health inequalities are increasing on intranational and global scales, especially following the 2008 economic crisis (Cash-Gibson, et al., 2018). The present Covid-19 pandemic – which has caused unemployment levels to rise to historic heights in most advanced economies – has made understanding the connection between socioeconomics and individual health even more urgent. The concept of health inequality as a field of study emerged alongside the pioneers of the socialist tradition; Frederick Engels’ 1845 The Condition of the Working Class in England is a seminal work in the field, and his lifelong collaborator Karl Marx elaborated at length the deleterious (physical, psychological, and spiritual) effects of capitalism on the lower classes. However, a properly Marxist tradition is largely absent even in more radical circles of health research today. To the extent that it is present, it is “neo-Marxist” – that is, it comes from a second generation of Marxists who took influence from Marx, but use fundamentally different methodological and theoretical assumptions. I argue that this is because, for the past century, a mathematical inconsistency (the “transformation problem”) in Marx’s original political economy was thought to make it internally incoherent, and as a result it has been excluded from serious academic consideration. However, in recent years, a school of Marxist economists have disproven the inconsistency, and in doing so paved the way for the possibility of a reclamation of the Marxist tradition in the social sciences. In this paper I argue that a Marxist political economy could serve as a superior methodological basis for the study of social health inequities.Item Open Access Youth-Serving Organizations' Inclusivity of LGBTQ Newcomers - A Content Analysis(2019-08-09) Flett, Joseph; Morrow, Marina; Ahmad, FarahLGBTQ newcomer youth in Canada experience unique challenges due to their intersecting identities which may negatively impact their well-being and development. For those lacking support at home and in school, youth-serving organizations provide various services and socialization that can effectively address these challenges. In a two-stage content analysis, this study explored LGBTQ newcomer inclusivity in 39 youth-serving organizations in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as programs and services offered to this population specifically. Stage 1 findings demonstrate that few organizations displayed inclusion of and supports for LGBTQ newcomers. Stage 2 findings show that approaches to programs and services offered to this population can be categorized into four themes: cultural and linguistic sensitivity, skills development & education, socialization & community connections, and health & well-being. The efficacy of their approaches is largely supported by the literature. Recommendations for best practices are discussed, with an emphasis placed on the importance of inclusive policies that incorporate an intersectional understanding of youth.Item Open Access Examining Mental Health Apps Potential in Providing Equitable Access to Care in the Global North and Global South: A Scoping Review(2019-08-09) Rasendran, Raneeshan; Ahmad, Farah; Morrow, MarinaPromising, ongoing research on online mental health interventions or mental health applications (MHAPPs) has presented the global mental health care community with a potential solution to fill in the gaps in access to mental health care. Many of the MHAPPs have focused on conditions of depression and anxiety. Yet, it remains unclear whether such interventions can address the access to care gap in an equitable manner by reaching the diverse communities both in the global North and global South. The countries of Canada and United States were chosen as exemplars for the global North and China and India as exemplars for the global South. Using Arksey and O’Malley’s methodical framework, a scoping review was conducted on academic and grey literature published since 2015. Under critical social paradigm, the synthesis of review studies employed the social determinants of health lens along with role of macro forces like neoliberalism and collectivism-individualism. The results reveal that MHAPPs for depression and anxiety have been shown to be efficacious in studies both in the global North and global South, though few of the efficacious apps have been made freely available. Further, the guided-online interventions in the global North and global South are also found to facilitate program adherence, especially in rural settings. However, the review reveals that several barriers exist in the global South to make online interventions widely available and accessible. The identified barriers include mental health stigma and discrimination, financial and social challenges, difficulties in using the technology-based applications, and cultural barriers to ‘self-management’. In conclusion, this review has identified the potential of MHAPPs in broad settings; however, there is a need to design these programs by incorporating the social determinants of health framework to better address the structural barriers to access care. Policy makers should be cautious in steadily implementing MHAPPs in disadvantaged communities, as broader policies are needed to address the logistical capabilities of accessing online mental care. Further studies on MHAPPS are also needed with a bottom-up approach to adapt to various cultural context and reach marginalized communities. Given the specific focus of the presented review on Canada and United States as global North and China and India as global South, the findings need to be interpreted carefully. Further work by including additional geographic regions is needed to advance the scholarly understanding.Item Open Access Creating Complex Systems: The Implications of the Immigration System Reforms for Refugee Health (2012)(2019-05-17) Pak, Negeen; Hynie, Michaela; Daly, TamaraIn June 2012, the Canadian federal government introduced a new legislature, which drastically reformed the Canadian immigration system. During this time the Conservative government reformed the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), completely transforming health coverage for asylum seekers. This overhaul created a hierarchy, whereby asylum seekers would qualify for different levels of coverage based on their claimant status. This study explores the impacts of this policy change and outlines the inequity consequential to the reforms of 2012. It includes secondary thematic data analysis of interviews conducted with medical health professionals regarding the impacts of the 2012 decision. The study provides a comprehensive look at the implications of patchwork policies through three prominent themes: potential risks to women’s health; barriers to healthcare access (language, fear, cost); significant medical bills and delays lead to additional health problems. Finally, I conclude with policy recommendations for future federal and provincial governments.Item Open Access Contracting Care: Evaluating the effects of the "Second Generation Health System Strategy' on the contracting environment for community organizations in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver(2019-04-11) Wood, Tesia; Daly, Tamara; Armstrong, PatThis paper examines the impacts of the Downtown Eastside ‘Second Generation Health System Strategy’ (2GHSS) on the contracting environment for community organizations and programs receiving funding from the regional health authority, Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH). The 2GHSS was designed by VCH and implemented in 2015 with the aim of removing siloed services and providing a more integrated and responsive health system in the Downtown Eastside (DTES). The 2GHSS represents a significant reorientation of government priorities in the community and the accompanying funding shuffles and cuts – primarily directed at non-clinical programs and organizations – have shifted the landscape of the DTES third sector. Informed by the theoretical framework of feminist political economy, and through the use of thematic analysis, this paper identifies trends in the DTES contracting environment between 2015 and 2019 that reflect the intensification of medical dominance and indirect neoliberal governance, including: funding cuts to organizations without links to the formal health system; use of market-based competitive tendering; valuing health services for their clinical rather than their social components; and contributing to an environment of fiscal precarity. It is concluded the 2GHSS is an extension of the neoliberal ideological orientation that has long directed the priorities of the BC health sector.Item Open Access The Politics of Reproductive Health and Women's Rights: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Family Planning 2020(2018-09-18) Wootton, Amanda; Chaufan, Claudia; Gonzalez, MiguelGlobal population policy has been a recurring topic on foreign policy and international development agendas since the end of World War II. Since its inception, initiatives have taken many forms, but all have included a family planning element. Prior to the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (the “Cairo Conference”), population policy was justified and applied under the premise of population control, which sought to limit fertility in poor countries with the goal of moving them forward on the traditional development trajectory (i.e. toward industrialization). In the years following, justifications and practices surrounding population policy shifted, and women and girls, reproductive health, human rights and empowerment were positioned at the center of narratives. Family Planning 2020 (FP2020), which is the most recent iteration of population policy to capture global consciousness, reflects this new way forward. In actuality, FP2020 has many of the same features as population control but is presented with new socially-acceptable discourse. Essentially, FP2020 exemplifies the intersection of the development industry, neoliberal ideology, private philanthropy in health governance, and population policy. In this paper, I argue that FP2020 reproduces narratives of elite global health and development institutions, like the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (the Gates Foundation), to push agendas that reflect their own ideologies and interests, including the unobstructed pursuit of global capital. Among others, these narratives include an emphasis on harmonious multisector collaboration, and the realization of women’s human rights and empowerment. This discourse acts to subdue and counteract potential criticism and drive support from various stakeholders, including those traditionally critical of population policies, such as grassroots women’s health movements. In doing so, FP2020 does injustice to those it claims to serve, which are primarily women and girls living in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Guided by critical development theory, the method used in this paper is critical discourse analysis (CDA), which was performed on six key documents produced by FP2020.