Learn more & request your invitation: https://www.learning.foundation/bias

# Equity Matters: Identifying and eliminating biases in health systems

Every day, unfair treatment determines who benefits from health systems. When certain groups are excluded from research, we miss crucial knowledge about how diseases and treatments affect them. When policies ignore some communities, people face greater health risks and suffer unnecessarily.

## Why this matters

Bias in health systems has real consequences:

- Lives are lost when care is not equitable
- Limited resources are wasted on ineffective programs
- Communities lose trust in health services
- Research misses critical insights when it excludes certain populations

The BIAS FREE Framework offers a practical approach to identify and address these inequities—looking beyond single factors like gender to examine how multiple forms of exclusion intersect and compound.

## What you will experience

This interactive session brings together health professionals, community members, researchers, policy makers, and humanitarian responders across 137 countries to share real experiences with bias and discover practical solutions.

During the live event, participants will explore seven key questions covering various aspects of the BIAS FREE Framework. You will:

- Learn to quickly spot the three main types of bias in any health work
- Discover simple questions to check if your work treats all people fairly
- Gain practical tools to address problems once identified
- Develop strategies to discuss bias with colleagues who may not recognize it
- Explore measurement approaches to track your progress
- Build connections with others committed to equity in health

## Guidance from experts

Two distinguished "Guides on the Side" will provide context and feedback:

- **Mary Anne Burke**, co-author of the BIAS FREE Framework
- **Brigid Burke**, sociologist specializing in equity, diversity, and accessibility

Rather than lecturing, these experts will respond to participant experiences, helping connect patterns and offering insights to deepen our collective understanding.

## Who should attend

This event is valuable for anyone working in health systems:

- **Community members and frontline workers**: Your lived experience is essential to understanding how health systems truly function
- **Health professionals**: Discover tools to address hidden biases preventing quality care
- **Humanitarian responders**: Learn rapid assessment techniques for inclusive emergency response
- **Program managers**: Uncover adjustments that can dramatically increase your reach
- **Researchers**: Transform methodologies to eliminate biases that compromise validity
- **Policy makers**: Gain frameworks to analyze policies for hidden inequities

## Why learn together across differences?

Our approach brings diverse perspectives together because:

- No single viewpoint can see the entire system
- Breaking traditional knowledge hierarchies creates more effective solutions
- Collective intelligence emerges when different experiences connect

This special event launches the Certificate Peer Learning Programme for Equity in Research and Practice. Your participation helps determine if The Geneva Learning Foundation will develop a comprehensive learning opportunity on identifying and removing bias in health systems.

Register now to receive the BIAS FREE Framework and join a global community committed to health equity for all.