NOAACF Hosts Inaugural 2021 “Blacks, Indigenous, and Other Minority Ethnicities with Rare and Genetic Diseases” (BIOMERGD) Conference
BIOMERGD Conference 2021 – Captions
The National Organization of African Americans with Cystic Fibrosis (NOAACF) hosted the 1st Annual BIOMERGD (Blacks, Indigenous, and Other Minority Ethnicities with Rare and Genetic Diseases) Conference on Saturday, February 27, 2021, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm CST.
The BIOMERGD conference was sponsored and hosted by NOAACF and coincided with Rare Disease Week 2021 and took place the day before Rare Disease Day 2021.
There are more than 7,000 different rare diseases, collectively affecting more than 350 million people around the world (National Organization for Rare Disorders, NORD). Ethnic and racial minorities may also experience a higher incidence and prevalence of rare diseases than the general population for a variety of reasons, genetic and otherwise (National Institutes of Health, NIH). Indeed, racial and ethnic minorities and other underserved populations are likely to experience even greater barriers to screening, diagnosis, and treatment of rare diseases than for common conditions due to a variety of cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors.
NOAACF’s BIOMERGD conference strives to increase awareness of rare diseases in the black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities by focusing on one genetic disease and one rare disease each year. The first conference (2021) focused on cystic fibrosis and systemic lupus erythematosus, which has impacted NOAACF co-founders Terry Wright and Michele Wright, respectfully
It featured two physician speakers who are national leaders in their field – Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Cousar who presented on cystic fibrosis and Dr. Jason K. Taylor will spoke about systemic lupus. There was an expert panel made up of health professionals and cystic fibrosis/lupus patients who shared their unique experiences.
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