This session will explore the geographic dimensions of public health and health policy through case studies spanning from sub-Saharan Africa to Canada. Presenters will investigate gender-transformative policymaking in Ghana, digital toolkits for reducing chemical exposures and promoting girls' participation in sport, spatial patterns of disease awareness through Google Trends, and the public health impacts of cannabis policy. Through diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, the session will illuminate how place, policy, behavior, and health are deeply interconnected, offering insights to inform both research and real-world health interventions.

• 10:15 AM
  “You don’t expect a man to make good policies that affect women’s health”: Exploring barriers to gender transformative policymaking and programming in Ghana’s health and WaSH sectors
  Pascal Meho-Akakpo, University of Waterloo

• 10:30 AM
  Developing and Evaluating “Paraben-Free & Me”: An Educational Toolkit that Targets Parabens Exposure Reduction from Personal Care Products
  Graziella De Michino, Ontario Tech University

• 10:45 AM
  Supporting Girls' Sport Participation in the Greater Toronto Area: Exploring Parental Decisions and Developing an Evidence-Based Toolkit
  Jayda Hylton-Pelaia, Ontario Tech University

• 11:00 AM
  Spatial and temporal trends in public knowledge related to lupus in Canada: A Google Trends approach
  Emily Shantz, University of Waterloo

• 11:15 AM
  The Impact of Municipal Cannabis Retailer Bans on Cannabis-Related Emergency Department Visits: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Ontario, Canada
  Antony Chum, York University