NIDDK initiatives addressing health disparities in chronic diseases

BT Roberts, GP Rodgers - The Journal of Clinical …, 2020 - Am Soc Clin Investig
BT Roberts, GP Rodgers
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2020Am Soc Clin Investig
As our country grapples with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed
heartbreaking events that highlight racial injustice in our country. The weight of racial
injustice falls heavily on people burdened by health disparities and likely contributes to the
increased morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in minority populations. Additionally, COVID-
19–related disparities and effects are exacerbated by chronic diseases, such as obesity,
diabetes, and kidney disease, that disproportionately affect US minority groups. Because …
As our country grapples with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have witnessed heartbreaking events that highlight racial injustice in our country. The weight of racial injustice falls heavily on people burdened by health disparities and likely contributes to the increased morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in minority populations. Additionally, COVID-19–related disparities and effects are exacerbated by chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease, that disproportionately affect US minority groups. Because combating these conditions is central to the mission of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), we are firmly committed to research programs aimed at reducing COVID-19 disparities, such as Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics-Underserved Populations (1). Moreover, because many NIDDK mission diseases place disparate burdens on minority groups and people with limited resources, and because we believe health equity is integral to social justice, the NIDDK has reaffirmed its commitment to combating health disparities—whether pandemic related or not—through basic, translational, and clinical research (2, 3).
The Journal of Clinical Investigation