The United States once led the world in running clinical trials that aimed to look like the nation at large. Now it is dumping equality goals and slashing health research, so experts are looking to Europe and Britain to plug the diversity gap.
Racial health inequality manifests in many ways — be it discriminatory treatment or higher death rates — but one glaring disparity kicks in at the get-go with the testing of all drugs, medical devices and treatments pre-launch.
Studies show that ethnic minorities are far less likely to volunteer for such trials, a fact that health experts put down to mistrust of the health system, fear and misinformation.
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