Toward a National Action Plan for Achieving Diversity in Clinical Trials
Date: 08/20/2024
by: Esther Krofah, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, MILKEN INSTITUTE HEALTH, Yasmeen Long, DIRECTOR, FASTERCURES,
Barbara E. Bierer, MD, MH, Morgan Hanger,SO, Sally Okun,WD, Willyanne DeCormier Plosky, Dr PH
Participation in clinical research among racial and ethnic minorities remains low, even though such groups now represent nearly 40 percent of the US population. Health disparities were laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic, with ethnic and racial minorities significantly underrepresented in early vaccine trials despite being disproportionally impacted by the disease. As a 2022 National Academies report stated, “The lack of equitable representation in clinical trials compounds disparities in health and will cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars.”
