The Food and Drug Administration has issued a report detailing the work being done by the agency’s Office of Minority Health. The report comes as part of Minority Health Month, which will find the organization releasing similar informational materials up until the end of April.
The OMH came about in 2010 thanks to the Affordable Care Act. This branch of the FDA seeks to protect the health of those persons whose backgrounds make them susceptible to certain health conditions. The Director of the office explains that health problems can stem from a host of factors, including such things as genetics, non existent insurance, and an inability to gain access to the type of healthcare that many might take for granted.
To combat these issues and others, the OMH seeks to improve diversity both in clinical trials and on scientific advisory committees to the FDA. When a wider array of voices is leant to both of these areas of study, public health can be improved greatly. The OMH has also partnered with various universities in order to improve research into disparities that could contribute to health issues. This past December, a 4,500 person conference was held to get a sense of what can be done to address these disparities.
Hopefully, these efforts can continue to evolve and persons of every race and economic background can receive the healthcare they need and deserve.