FDA Office of Minority Health and Health Equity Newsletter | Issue 17 Spring is in full swing and FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) would like to share some exciting updates and information about upcoming events. Check out our newsletter and learn what we've been up to and what you can look forward to in the weeks ahead. FDA OMHHE #VaccineReady Social Media Toolkit Over the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the health inequities that affect certain communities within the United States, specifically racial and ethnic minority groups. Many of these communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. The FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity has joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' #VaccineReady campaign to address these disparities. We've developed social medial messages to encourage members of diverse communities to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In this toolkit, you will find Twitter and Facebook messages with a variety of graphics and videos on topics such as vaccine development, vaccine authorization, and the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19. You can download these social media messages directly from our #VaccineReady webpage and you can also download the PDF version of the toolkit as well. Lupus Awareness Month Lupus Awareness Month is observed each May and the occasion provides the opportunity to raise awareness about this autoimmune disease which disproportionately impacts racial and ethnic minorities. Although both men and women can be diagnosed with lupus, 9 out of 10 individuals living with the illness are women. There is currently no cure available for lupus, but there are medications that can help prevent flares, treat symptoms, and reduce organ damage and other problems. The FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity recently released a new set of health education materials on lupus including a new fact sheet, brochure, and an infographic. You can find these materials and learn more about lupus on our website. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and we encourage you to use this opportunity to learn more about minority health topics that impact the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The FDA and OMHHE have a variety of health education resources available in a variety of languages including Simplified Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and more. You can visit our YouTube channel and learn about health disparity issues such as health fraud scams, which are often targeted towards diverse communities and individuals who speak English as a second language, and you can also watch our webinar on hepatitis B and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. On January 26, President Biden issued the Memorandum Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The memorandum calls for federal government to combat and prevent racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against AAPIs. The memorandum includes a directive for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, to consider issuing best practices for advancing cultural competency, language access and sensitivity toward AAPIs in the context of the federal COVID-19 response. On January 20, the Administration also issued the Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. This executive order calls for a comprehensive federal approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. You can learn more about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' and The White House's efforts by reading the HHS Office of Minority Health's recent blog. You can also follow us on Twitter this month as we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and share health information specifically tailored for the AAIP community. Accepting Applications to the Genomic Science and Health Equity Postdoctoral Fellowship The FDA Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) and the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) are co-sponsoring a newly established Genomic Science and Health Equity Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. This program will prepare the fellow to use genetic, genomic and pharmacogenomic approaches to advance minority health and health equity. The fellow will be trained in the research methodology and medical product development processes that facilitate the delivery of drugs, biologics and devices from the bench to the bedside. The fellow will also pursue genomics research related to transfusion support for sickle cell disease (SCD), a health disparity condition that primarily affects African Americans in the United States. The successful candidate will complete a research project to produce reference reagents for blood group genotyping, which will optimize transfusion support for patients with SCD. Applications are being accepted and will be screened on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The fellow is expected to start in summer or fall 2021. For more information about this fellowship, visit the Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genomic Science and Health Equity webpage. CFSAN Toxic Elements The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced "Closer to Zero"—the agency's action plan for reducing exposure to toxic elements, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, from foods for babies and young children. Our plan describes the approach we will take to help continually reduce toxic elements to the lowest levels possible in foods eaten by babies and young children. Reducing exposure to toxic elements—especially for babies and children—is one of the FDA's highest priorities. Our goal of moving us closer to zero exposure to toxic elements from foods reflects our commitment to take significant steps to help reduce contamination. However, because fruits, vegetables, and grains can 'take up' toxic elements in the environment from the water, soil, and air, there are limits to how low the levels can be reduced. Exposure to toxic elements depends on the levels of the elements found in foods as well as the amount of the food consumed. Infant Formula: Safety Do's and Don'ts The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises parents and caregivers to not make or feed homemade infant formula to infants. Homemade infant formula recipes have not been evaluated by the FDA and may lack nutrients vital to an infant's growth. It is important for parents and caregivers to remember that infant formula can be the sole source of nutrition for infants and is strictly regulated by the FDA. The agency has requirements for certain nutrients in infant formulas sold in interstate commerce, and if the formula does not contain these nutrients at or above the minimum level or within its specified range, the infant formula is adulterated. The agency can take action to remove adulterated formula from the marketplace. The agency has received reports of hospitalized babies who had been fed homemade infant formula and then suffered from hypocalcemia (low calcium). Other potential problems with homemade formulas include contamination and absence of, or inadequate amounts of, critical nutrients. | Funding Opportunity for Lupus Clinical Trial Diversity The Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services administers grant programs to support projects that implement innovative models to improve minority health and reduce health disparities. OMH has released the following notice of funding opportunity for which applications are now being accepted. Announcement Number: MP-CPI-21-005 Opportunity Title: National Lupus Outreach and Clinical Trial Education Program Award Amount: $300,000-$500,000 Estimated Total: $2,000,000 Application Due Date: June 29, 2021, 6:00 PM ET This notice solicits applications for projects to demonstrate the effectiveness of interventions for increasing minority participation in lupus-related clinical trials to help to reduce lupus-related health disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minority populations. Projects will seek to develop public-private and community partnerships to support and/or sustain effective practices to increase racial and ethnic minority enrollment and retention in lupus clinical trials, and tailor existing outreach or education interventions that focus on health care providers/practitioners and/or racial and ethnic minority populations. A technical assistance webinar for potential applicants will be held May 5, 2021 from 3:00-4:00 PM ET. You can register for the technical assistance webinar on the HHS registration webpage and you can learn more about this opportunity on www.grants.gov and the HHS OMH website. 2021 FDA Science Forum The 2021 FDA Science Forum will be held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, May 26 and 27, 2021. The Forum offers an exciting opportunity for the public to view the unique scientific research and collaborative efforts of FDA's 11,000 scientists. You'll get a chance to see first-hand how FDA's researchers are using novel science and technologies to inform FDA's regulatory decision-making—and drive innovation. FDA scientific experts and nationally renowned scientists will speak on the eight topics of the 2021 FDA Science Forum: Science as the Foundation for Protecting and Promoting Public Health, highlighted below. This year's keynote speaker is NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, M.D. FDA's Science Forum welcomes the public, industry, academia, patient advocates, sister agencies, and current and potential collaborators to join us virtually and learn about the critical contributions that FDA's regulatory science makes to product quality and safety. Register now and find more information on the FDA's website. National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week #BlackFamCan The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Oncology Center of Excellence, Project Community has announced a new community-based initiative, National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week, scheduled for June 17 through June 23, 2021. The purpose is to increase cancer awareness in one of the most vulnerable segments of the U.S. population. National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week aims to marshal community-based stakeholders to build knowledge surrounding cancer clinical trial participation and minority population specimen donations to national genetic databases for cancer research. In Case You Missed It: National Minority Health Month Each April, we observe National Minority Health Month. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) selected Vaccine Ready as this year's NMHM theme. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minority, American Indian and Alaska Native, and other diverse communities, and it is important to raise awareness about the need for these communities to get vaccinated. FDA OMHHE created a National Minority Health Month webpage to highlight the resources our office has available for vaccination and COVID-19. On our webpage, you will find public service announcement videos in English, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese and several other languages that address vaccine confidence, as well as a podcast and webinar on COVID-19 and Health Equity. We encourage you to visit the FDA's website throughout the year for the latest information on COVID-19 and vaccines. | COVID-19 Vaccine Videos The FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity has released a set of new videos about the COVID-19 vaccines and the importance of getting vaccinated. Racial and ethnic minority communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is important to get vaccinated as more vaccines become available. Vaccines are one of the safest tools to prevent infectious diseases like COVID-19, and they can help protect you and your loved ones from the virus. Vaccinations, along with mask wearing, hand washing, and social distancing, will help us stop the spread of COVID-19. You can find the videos on our YouTube playlist. | Health Equity and Covid-19 Webinar In February, the FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity hosted a webinar with special guests Dr. Peter Marks, the director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, and RADM Richardae Araojo, the director of FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity to discuss the latest COVID-19 updates, including information about vaccines and the FDA's authorization process. You can watch a recording of this webinar on YouTube. | Health Equity Forum Podcast Series FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity recently launched the Health Equity Forum podcast series to discuss important minority health and health equity issues with a variety of guests. In our latest episode, RADM Richardae Araojo, FDA's Associate Commissioner for Minority Health and Director of OMHHE, discusses health fraud and COVID-19 with CAPT Jason Humbert and Minerva Rogers from FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs' Health Fraud Branch. This episode details the agency's efforts to stop fraudulent products from reaching the market, especially those claiming to prevent, treat, or cure COVID-19. You can find this episode on our webpage and podcast streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Pandora. | FDA OMHHE 10-year Anniversary March 23, 2020 marked the 10-year anniversary of FDA's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. Over the last decade, FDA OMHHE has worked dedicatedly to deliver valuable public health information to diverse communities and patients, as well as stakeholders from the public and private sector, academia, non-profit field, and regulated industry. The office has created research and communications programs that highlight the importance of health disparities-focused research and its significance in advancing health equity for all. Although we've wrapped-up our year-long celebration, we'd like to thank all of you for your continued support of FDA OMHHE. We are proud to have had a successful first decade and we look forward to continuing our work in closing the health disparities gap. Please continue to check in with us by following us on Twitter and by visiting our website to learn about our new events and initiatives. | Visit the FDA OMHHE website and follow us on Twitter at @FDAHealthEquity "Creating a world where health equity is a reality for all." www.fda.gov/HealthEquity |
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