The U.S. health equity community got a strong boost today from the introduction in the U.S. Senate of the Health Equity and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Community Inclusion Act. The bill is designed to recognize and enhance inclusion of individuals comprising MENA populations. In particular, the legislation would enable them to gain access to minority public health initiatives, resources, and education.
The introduction of companion bills in the U.S. House of Representatives provides added momentum for the likelihood of passage of these policies. One of the key elements of the Act would amend the Public Health Service Act of 1944 by supplementing the definition of racial and ethnic minority groups to also include “Middle Easterners and North Africans.” As federal government agencies typically categorize MENA individuals as “white,” this change would create eligibility to the MENA community for health and medical resources traditionally available to other underrepresented and marginalized populations.
The full text of the bill is located here.
