On behalf of BORN Ontario, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the health-care providers in Ontario, especially those who care for pregnant people and their newborns. Amidst the uncertainty, unrelenting work load, and incredible stress, health-care providers from 91 organizations across Ontario have also been submitting case report forms to capture critical information about COVID-19 in pregnancy. BORN’s ability to provide emerging data during a rapidly-evolving global pandemic is a testament to their dedication to serving the maternal-child population of Ontario.

How does COVID-19 infection and vaccination impact pregnant individuals and their newborns? In this year’s Annual Report, you’ll hear how BORN is addressing this question as well as many other perinatal issues important to Ontario health-care providers, researchers, policy-makers, and families.

One of the highlights of 2020-21 was launching a portfolio dedicated to Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. We know that sociodemographic factors have an impact on health – this has been well researched. The COVID-19 pandemic shone a light on this, and highlighted the lack of robust Canadian data that could be used to assess impact and improve care. Pregnancy and birth are where population health begins and where BORN can have an incredible impact. An internal team was convened to lead this critically important work and an external call for participation will be made soon. The external group will advise how BORN could play a role in enabling the safe collection, storage, and use of sociodemographic data, including race, to improve outcomes and facilitate care for marginalized communities across Ontario.

Work dedicated to Indigenous Wellness continued in 2020-21 including building a foundation of cultural safety, increasing our analytical expertise and understanding of data sovereignty, and determining how that could be implemented at BORN. We look forward to further engagement with Indigenous Nations and Families to inform future potential data collection and use.

I hope you enjoy this year’s Annual Report. We would appreciate your feedback - please take a few moments to complete the evaluation after you read the report.