ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic is a pressing public health issue. It is expected to have a disproportionate impact on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, given long-standing social and health inequities relative to the general population. Navigating the terrain of scientific uncertainty in making policy decisions to mitigate harm is a major challenge for stakeholders. This chapter proposes the use of a social diagnostic tool called the Community Well-Being Index to predict community vulnerability to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the social determinants of health, the Community Well-Being Index is an easy-to-use and widely available instrument that can optimize decision- making regarding resource allocation in the short- and long-term to mitigate the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
