On June 10th a coalition of legislators in the House and Senate co-signed a letter urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take critical steps toward improving the health and well-being of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) populations. The letter requests that the HHS “collect more granular data on [MENA] subgroups” (e.g., Palestinians, Yemenis, Lebanese, Egyptians, Iranians), “address existing barriers to access” of health services for MENA populations, and “ensure that targeted federal programs critical to improving health outcomes and general quality of life are fully available to MENA populations.”
On June 21st, the Washington, D.C.-based Office of Policy in the National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC) met with officials in the HHS to follow-up on the requests made in this letter. NNAAC remains in active discussions with professional staff in Congress and the HHS on policy pathways to advance health equity and MENA community inclusion.
What is the Impact?
Congressional letters are an exercise of oversight and enforcement; they signal to the recipient that there is broad, popular support for the requested items. The requests made to HHS in this letter are an urgent matter. Since 1977, MENA communities have been systematically overlooked in federal data crucial for enforcing civil rights and ensuring equal opportunities. Moreover, since 1985, MENA populations have been marginalized in federal health programs designed to mitigate cultural and linguistic barriers in accessing quality healthcare services.
Recent policy changes present a significant opportunity to rectify MENA exclusion. On March 29, 2024, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revised the federal standards for data on race and ethnicity (Statistical Policy Directive 15, or SPD 15) to require that all federal agencies collect and produce data on MENA populations. Under the newly revised SPD 15, the federal government is better able to provide MENA communities with greater civil rights protections and more equal opportunities to benefit from federal programs. However, the new MENA category does not guarantee adequate representation of MENA communities in federal data, nor does it ensure that health data derived from these standards translates into equitable health programs.
Rather, our communities will have to fight for equitable inclusion across the government. For instance, after months of advocating for MENA inclusion in research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the NIH formally designated “Middle Eastern/North African” as a “health disparity population” on June 10th. By designating MENA, the NIH has allowed researchers to receive federal funds to support the study of MENA health.
Through this bicameral1 letter, the coalition of legislators have exercised their congressional powers to signal broad, popular support for MENA community inclusion. Specifically, the letter highlights how the OMB’s revision “will allow for further disaggregation of data to provide more accurate health situation analysis, better understanding of each population’s unique needs, improved equity monitoring, and more efficient resource targeting.”
Why Does This Matter?
The June 10th letter is significantly influenced by provisions of the Health Equity and MENA Community Inclusion Act, or HEMCI Act, which NNAAC worked closely with the offices of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) to introduce in the House (H.R.2730.) and Senate (S.2899). The HEMCI Act was a landmark piece of legislation designed to end decades of MENA community erasure from the US healthcare system. The HEMCI Act requires that HHS collect and produce disaggregated data on MENA subgroups, provide higher-quality healthcare tailored to MENA populations, and conduct a comprehensive study on the unique factors impacting MENA population health. This study would be disaggregated by race and ethnicity, encompassing ancestral groups, countries of origin, and nationalities within MENA communities.
The HEMCI Act aims to provide policymakers with the necessary tools to craft targeted interventions that promote equitable healthcare outcomes. Beyond statistical representation, accurate data disaggregation enables policymakers to identify and address disparities in chronic disease prevalence, maternal health outcomes, mental health services, and more. This newfound granularity in data collection promises to empower Arab American and other MENA communities (e.g., Iranian, Armenian, Chaldean) by ensuring that distinct health needs are no longer overlooked or generalized. The HEMCI Act has not yet passed Congress. You can request that your congressional representative cosponsor the HEMCI Act by heading to bit.ly/CountMENAIn!
What Comes Next?
It is imperative for NNAAC and its allies to collaborate closely with HHS to ensure the equitable inclusion for all underrepresented and underserved groups, including MENA communities. Should HEMCI pass in Congress, to guarantee that the promise of the HEMCI Act translates into tangible improvements in healthcare access and outcomes for all underserved populations we must maintain our advocacy, engagement, and monitoring of federal policymaking. This collaborative effort involves advocating for inclusive health policies like HEMCI that respect cultural diversity, dismantling barriers to healthcare access, and fostering a healthcare environment that prioritizes equity and inclusion.
We intend to streamline implementation of the SPD 15 revision and the HEMCI Act. The OMB has required the HHS to produce an Action Plan for Data on Race and Ethnicity by September 29, 2025. Moving forward, NNAAC will be working with the Congress and the HHS to ensure that the implementation of SPD 15 is used to implement core provisions of the HEMCI Act.
To get more involved in this effort, please reach out to NNAAC Policy Manager Adam Beddawi ([email protected]).