A Partnership for Health: Minorities & Biomedical Research

Abstract

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has long recognized that minority populations bear a disproportionate burden of sickness and disease in the United States. Differences in racial and ethnic backgrounds can affect susceptibility to infectious and immunologic diseases, including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), asthma, sexually transmitted infections, and kidney disease. Moreover, minority populations often do not fully benefit from research advances that have helped improve the health of other Americans. For more than 50 years, NIAID has progressed in understanding, treating, and preventing infectious and immunologic diseases known to occur disparately in minority populations. As outlined in its Strategic Plan for Addressing Health Disparities, NIAID continues to prioritize basic, clinical, and epidemiological research in addressing the health disparities in minority populations. Specifically, NIAID supports efforts to increase the participation of minority scientists in its research, increase the participation of the minority community in clinical research, and design targeted outreach activities for minority communities that communicate research developments and health risk.