Iron Deficiency Education and Awareness Act H. R. 6747

Introduced in the House of Representatives December 13, 2023

The Bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a public awareness campaign with respect to iron deficiency.

Short Title: “Iron Deficiency and Education Awareness Act”

Congress finds the following:
• The body cannot produce sufficient amounts of hemoglobin with insufficient iron levels

• Menstrual bleeding and pregnancy are major reasons for lower iron levels. Symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, cold extremities, hair loss, cognitive issues, shortness of breath, headaches, and sleep disorders

• Iron deficiency often goes undiagnosed due to difficulty recognizing symptoms and lack of urgency in diagnosing. Left untreated increases the risk of developing organ complications, such as tachycardia or heart failure.

• Among pregnant women, iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia has been linked to increased maternal illness, premature birth and low birth weight among babies, and intrauterine growth restriction.

• Approximately 35% of women of reproductive age in the US do not have a sufcient amount of iron in their bodies. Additionally, nearly 40% of girls and young women ages 12 to 21 are affected by iron deficiency, and 6% are non-deficient anemic.

• Children under the age of two are at a high risk of iron deficiency. About 6% of children age 1-2 have iron deficiency.

• Eliminating barriers to awareness, education, and screening will assist in preventing and treating iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and related health issues among women and children under the age of two.

IRON DEFICIENCY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
1. Increase aware of importance of screening
2. Combat misconceptions, including in diagnosis and management
3. Increase awareness of missed diagnosis due to inadequate screening
4. Increase screening among women and children under two

Requirements include

1) the use of evidence-based media and public engagement, 2)
be carried out through competitive grants or cooperative agreements, 3) include the
development of culturally and linguistically competent resources, 4) the dissemination
of information and communication resource to health care providers and health care
facilities

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6746/text?
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