PHILADELPHIA (April 30, 2024) — On April 18, 2024, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) hosted its inaugural White House Minority Health Forum to recognize National Minority Health Month. Representing Fox Chase Cancer Center, Camille Ragin, PhD, MPH, took part in a forum addressing cancer disparities, from screening to survivorship.
“Addressing cancer vulnerability and disparities among minority communities requires bold and effective action to move cancer science forward and deliver healthcare programs that will make a lasting difference,” said Ragin, Professor in Fox Chase’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program and Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “This forum demonstrated a broad commitment to address systematically the factors that lead to disparate health outcomes and confirmed my hope that the national dialogue on this issue is moving from awareness to decisive action.”
Drawing inspiration from her family, Jamaican roots, and professional experiences, Ragin has dedicated her career to understanding why Blacks have the highest incidence and death rates as well as the shortest survival for most cancers in comparison to all other racial and ethnic groups. She has become a leading voice in the science of disparity in cancer research and healthcare.
According to Biden-Harris Administration officials, the Minority Health Forum was designed to highlight progress, discuss challenges, and identify actions that the federal government and private sector can take to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities for racial and ethnic minority communities across the country.
“Health outcomes in America are simply unacceptable… and that is especially true in our ethnic minority communities and our racial minority communities,” said Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the OSTP. “There is a lot more work to be done, but I can’t tell you how much hope and how much courage it gives me to see that progress is possible when we move on this work.”
The breakout forum in which Ragin took part included luminaries from departments across the U.S. government as well as cancer advocacy organizations and academic medical institutions. The objective was to drive new ideas, actions, and collaborations aimed at identifying new cross sector actions to strengthen health outcomes and reduce health disparities.
“We all recognize the urgent need to address lagging outcomes in minority populations, but the plain fact is that there is no one-fits-all solution that addresses the complex array of societal, environmental, genetic, and discriminatory root causes for each community,” Ragin explained. “Every member of our breakout session had their own perspectives on how to make a difference, so this meeting – and the ones that follow – are absolutely vital, but only if they lead to lasting government funding commitments.”
The program concluded with remarks from Secretary Xavier Becerra of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Some of the greatest discoveries, some of the proudest moments for America are going to come because we included people who have a story to tell that’s going to knock your socks off,” he said. “The President and Vice President have made it an enduring commitment that we serve all Americans and that we serve them with the people who look like them.”