The pandemic recovery period presents an opportunity to address health inequities that have led to an unfair distribution of the burden and harms of COVID-19. New guidance for policy published in CMAJ  proposes 13 practical ways to address inequities exposed and worsened by COVID-19 in the pandemic recovery period, based on evidence that was accumulating before the pandemic.In this special episode of the podcast, CMAJ interim editor-in-chief Dr. Kirsten Patrick talks to Dr. Nav Persaud, lead author on the new guideline, about its genesis, the evidence underpinning its recommendations, and the importance of positioning equity at the centre of policy-making as Canada emerges from the pandemic.