Together for CHANGE (T4C) Initiative: One of Meharry’s most transformative projects, is “Changing Health Care for People of African-Ancestry through an InterNational Genomics & Equity Initiative” (Together for CHANGETM) launched on October 18, 2023 by the Diaspora Human Genomics Institute founded by Meharry Medical College in partnership with a consortium of pharmaceutical members, Regeneron, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk and Roche. The Together for CHANGE is a 10-year initiative aimed at creating the first comprehensive genomics database for people of African ancestry. This groundbreaking project seeks to address the critical underrepresentation of Black populations in pharmacological and medical research. The data collected from the people of African ancestry in the US, Africa and the Caribbean will inform medical research, treatments, and interventions that are more inclusive and equitable, addressing the longstanding disparities in healthcare that affect Black and Brown communities worldwide. The initiative is designed to fill a void in the African ancestry population genome database to address health disparities and develop educational pathways to empower student and faculty researchers at Historically Black and Disadvantaged institutions in the US and Africa. The launch of the initiative attracted coverage from over 250 news outlets including Science, Associated Press, ABC, NBC, African Dream, Bloomberg Radio, BBC etc, with 35.5 million unique digital views of the press release
This initiative contributes to global health and well-being by ensuring that future medical research, drug development, and clinical trials are inclusive of populations that have historically been marginalized in the healthcare system. The Together for CHANGE prioritizes equity in healthcare access and treatment for underserved populations worldwide.
