Aunties, WhatsApp, and “haldi da doodh”: South Asian communities’ perspectives on improving COVID-19 public health communication in Ontario, Canada

Objective To identify, from the perspective of South Asian communities, areas for improvement in public health communication. Methods Focus groups were conducted with individuals ( N =24) who could converse in English and self-identified as South Asian adults (18+) residing in Ontario. Participants were asked to share how, if at all, their identity as South Asian shaped their experiences during the pandemic and acceptance of public health measures put in place to mitigate the spread. Data were interpreted through the lens of intersectionality. Results Participants perceived a lack of culturally relevant and linguistically accessible health messaging, leading to the proliferation of misinformation. Peer-to-peer knowledge sharing filled a critical gap but created opportunities for misinformation to spread. Conclusion Improving equity in health communications should be informed by structural changes to the public health sector in Ontario.