As the weather warms up and the school year winds down, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) would like to share information with you about healthy living and disease prevention during the spring and summer months. Check out our updates and stay healthy and safe this season!

What's New:

Meet the New Commissioner:

On May 11, 2017, Dr. Scott Gottlieb was sworn in as the 23rd Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Dr. Gottlieb is a physician, medical policy expert, and public health advocate who previously served as the FDA's Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs and before that, as a senior advisor to the FDA Commissioner. The new Commissioner conducted an all-hands event on his first day of work at FDA where he discussed agency priorities and met with FDA staff members. You can find a transcript of his speech here and you can learn more about Commissioner Gottlieb by reading his biography on our website.

FDA Requests Comments on Proposal to Enhance Patient Engagement Efforts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a Federal Register Notice to seek input from the public on a proposal to enhance our patient engagement and outreach efforts at the Agency. Engaging with patients, their caregivers, and advocates has long been a priority of FDA. The agency intends to enhance future patient engagement by providing a more transparent, accessible, and robust experience for patient communities. To achieve these goals, FDA is considering establishing a new Office of Patient Affairs. This concept was developed as the agency reviewed public feedback previously collected regarding FDA's stakeholder engagement responsibilities outlined by the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA). The purpose of this notice is to outline FDA's proposal for the future of patient engagement at the Agency so that the perspectives of patient communities can be better captured.

Comments on the proposal will be accepted from the public until June 12, 2017. You can view the federal register notice and leave comments here.

Health Education Materials and Resources:

National Minority Health Month Recap

Last month, we celebrated National Minority Health with some exciting events focused on reducing health disparities. The celebration began with a Twitter chat on Latinos and Clinical Trials, which you can find a recap of on our Storify webpage. The chat was accompanied by the launch of our brand new Spanish-language public service announcement (PSA) video on clinical trial participation. The PSA can be viewed on our FDA Minority Health YouTube Playlist. Our Assistant Commissioner, Dr. Jonca Bull, also penned an entry in the FDA Voice Blog highlighting OMH’s contribution to FDA and the fight for health equity. OMH also hosted an open house and poster exhibit where we showcased our research and communication materials for our FDA colleagues.

May Health Observances

During May we recognize several health observances including; Hepatitis Awareness Month, Lupus Awareness Month, National Stroke Awareness Month, National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month; and National Women’s Health Week. Minority communities are affected by many of the conditions being observed during this month, therefore, OMH is providing a list of resources to raise public awareness. Please read and share the information provided below.

Sun Protection

Warm weather has finally arrived, but it is important for both children and adults to remember the basic rules of sun protection before heading outdoors. FDA has educational resources available that provide tips on how to keep you and your loved ones safe from the sun’s rays this spring and summer. You can visit our website and learn the ABCs of sun protection.

Upcoming Events:

Health Fraud Warning with Pill bottle with false cure claims

Health Fraud Twitter Chat

The Office of Minority Health will partner with Salud Today to host the “Latinos and Health Fraud” Twitter chat on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 1PM ET. We will give a general overview of prevalent health fraud scams that Latinos should be cautious of and we will offer tips on how to avoid and report fraud. OMH will also have an expert on hand from FDA’s health fraud division to provide information about the agency’s new campaign against cancer health fraud and the warning lettersthat were recently issued to companies regarding fraudulent cancer cure products. Follow us on Twitter and use the hashtag #SaludToday to join the discussion.

Office of Minority Health Exhibits

The OMH team and regional public affairs specialists are hitting the road this summer to exhibit at multiple public health conferences and meetings. View the tentative schedule of events below to see if you can stop by and grab some of our educational materials. Follow us on Twitter at @FDAOMHfor the exact location of our presentations and exhibit booths!

July 8th-11th: National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Annual Conference & Expo in Phoenix, AZ
July 18th-21st: National Association of Hispanic Nurses Conference in Phoenix, AZ
July 29th-August 2nd: National Medical Association in Philadelphia, PA
July 30th-August 4th: National Black Nurses Association Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada

Patient focused drug development meeting flyer

Patient-Focused Drug Development Meeting on Alopecia Areata

On September 11, 2017, FDA is conducting a public meeting on Patient-Focused Drug Development for alopecia areata. The public meeting is intended to allow FDA to obtain patient perspectives on the impact of alopecia areata, including on daily life, patient views on treatment approaches, and decision factors taken into account when selecting a treatment. This meeting is an exciting opportunity for individuals with alopecia areata to bring their voice to FDA and the drug development processs! Learn more and register to attend the meeting in-person or via webcast by visiting https://alopeciaareata.eventbrite.com. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at patientfocused@fda.hhs.gov.