FDA Releases Language Access Plan

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released the FDA Language Access Plan 2024.  The Plan “outlines the action steps the agency will take to meet the language access needs of the communities FDA serves while continuing to support the presidential executive orders to advance equity, support underserved communities, and improve access to benefits and services, including for people with limited English proficiency.” [See Executive Orders 13985, 13995, 14031, 14091.]  The Plan is consistent with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2023 Language Access Plan’s goal that “each HHS agency shall ensure access to timely, quality language assistance services for individuals with limited English proficiency.”  The FDA Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) leads the FDA Language Access Program, a vital part of “OMHHE’s mission to promote and protect the health of diverse populations through research and communication of science that address health disparities.”