On 5th February 2026, the NIHR BioResource launched our new initiative, All in Focus, as part of our Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) programme. Co-created with people of Black African and Caribbean heritage, All in Focus aims to understand more about the barriers that this community faces when being asked to contribute towards health and care research.
For too long, the experiences of Black African and Caribbean people have been missing from the healthcare picture, and the consequences have been profound, driving the vast health inequities we see today. For example, Black African and Caribbean women in the UK are more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth and men are more likely to die from prostate cancer. They are also more likely to experience high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke and less likely to receive the right diagnosis, treatment, or care. Historically, data used to design treatments, tests, medications and care has too often excluded these communities and as a result has cultivated mistrust in health and care.
The Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) programme was launched by the NIHR BioResource in 2024 with the aim of increasing representation of people of Black heritage in the BioResource and wider health research, and to improving knowledge and understanding of the health experiences and conditions that disproportionately affect Black African and Caribbean people in England.
The NIHR BioResource partnered with social impact communications agency Shape History in June 2025 to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges people from these communities face and what changes are needed to increase participation of Black African and Caribbean people in genetic research. Through a co-creation process involving active listening and open, honest dialogue, we developed the All in Focus initiative. Shaped by the voices of Black African and Caribbean communities, we aim to empower and support these communities by bringing people who have previously been excluded from research into the picture, ensuring that health and care research is able to reflect their lived experiences.
The All in Focus launch event took place at the Africa Centre in London and brought together representatives from across healthcare, research and community organisations to discuss what needs to change to bring Black health into focus. The event started with a powerful video from Esther Mukuka, Director of Research Inclusion at the NIHR, explaining the NIHR’s dedication to ensuring Black African and Caribbean people can have their voices heard in health and care research. Next, there was a panel discussion featuring Lewis, Sondra, Elias, Ruth and Alimat who provided their expert views on the health and research journey from the perspectives of patients, medical professionals, our National Participant Advisory Group, recruiting to healthcare studies and working with the donated samples when they arrive in the lab. The panel members shared their stories, both personal and professional, and led discussions about why it is important for Black African and Caribbean people to get involved in research, including that the evidence needed to ensure the best healthcare for these communities is missing and why it is important to make sure that Black African and Caribbean people are part of the health and care research picture.
We also shared our video, "The Human Side of Health Research", which features many of our panel members and highlights the vital contributions that Black African and Caribbean people make throughout the entire lifecycle of health research.
As a result of this event, attendees will now be able to lead further discussions with their communities about how they can get involved in research.
A key part of the initiative is the creation of a toolkit that anyone looking to connect with and involve Black African and Caribbean people in research studies can use to do so in an authentic and meaningful way.
All in Focus represents a new approach for the NIHR BioResource and the IBHO programme to foster honest and open dialogue with communities with different lived experiences, addressing questions and concerns around donating of genetic and health information to research and ensuring that everyone is seen so that everyone can be cared for.