Worldwide Scientific Community Participates in NIH Summit on Eliminating Health Disparities; Results to be Provided to President Obama

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From December 15-18, 2008 the NIH held a Summit entitled “The Science of Eliminating Health Disparities.” Over 4,400 of the best and brightest scientists, clinicians, policy, and advocacy leaders attended the Summit. They formed a community of biomedical research scientists, research administrators, public health commissioners and community health care providers with a common goal to address health disparities across the world. The assembly included diplomats from the embassies of Botswana, China, France, India and Peru, and university professors and deans from tribal colleges. The tone was enthusiastic and energized, with lively side conversations and productive sharing of ideas and information.

300 speakers presented in plenary and breakout sessions organized into five tracks:

  • Translating Science to Policy and Practice
  • Health Disparity Diseases and Conditions
  • Health Disparity Target Populations
  • Building Capacity
  • Partnerships, Collaborations, and Opportunities

The presentations included some recently acquired data and conclusions, but focused more on showcasing the available tools for addressing research needs and guidance for improving productivity in the research setting. In keeping with the summit’s emphasis on science, practice and policy, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and former Vermont governor Dr. Howard Dean addressed the assembly on its second day. Day three closed the summit with a town meeting on health care reform. Ideas generated from the forum will be submitted to President Barack Obama’s administration. These ideas spanned all the topics of the symposium and ranged from specific advice such as urging men and boys to see physicians, to the sweeping goal of assessing the health-impact of every piece of legislation.

The pre-Summit workshop, which over 1,400 young investigators attended, focused on research training and career development opportunities; the basics of R01, R021, and R03 applications; the peer review process; and basic and advanced grant writing.

Dedicated to the late former U.S. Congressman Paul Rogers (D-FL), also known asĀ “Mr. Health” for his support of medical research and his advocacy for increasing NIH funding, the summit was coordinated by NIH’s National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities.