United States Mxico Border Health Commission

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United States México Border Health Commission
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If the U.S. - México Border were a separate
state, it would rank...

• First in number of children living in poverty
• Second in incidence of tuberculosis
• Third in deaths from hepatitis
• Last in number of health professionals/100,000
  population
• Last in per capita income

U.S. México Border Counties Coalition March
2006 www.bordercounties.org
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Purpose of the U.S.-México Border Health
Commission (BHC)

• Identify and evaluate current and future health
  problems affecting the population in the United
  States-México border area
• Encourage and facilitate actions to address these
  problems

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La Paz Agreement
Definition of Border 100 km 60 miles
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Goals of the BHC

• Institutionalize a domestic focus on border
  health that can transcend political changes
• Create an effective venue for binational
  discussion to address key public health issues at
  the border

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Roles of the BHC

• Promote social and community participation
• Act as a catalyst for needed change
• Increase resources for the border
• Encourage self-responsibility for health
• Institutionalize domestic focus

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BHC Composition and Structure

• Two nations
• Ten border states (six Mexican States, four U.S.
  States)
• United States and México Sections12 Members each
• Led by two Commissioners

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BHC Accomplishments
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Commission Outreach Offices (OROs)
Accomplishments of the individual OROs are
provided in the Thirteenth Annual Meeting
Briefing Binder.
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Border Binational Health Week (BBHW) 2005

• Purpose- weeklong series of events to bring
  awareness to health needs along the border
• Update- 2005 BBHW focused on Families in Action
  for Health, and helped to provide health
  awareness to people along the border
• Contact Ernesto Ramirez, Mexico Section and
  Christopher Hickey, Ph.D., OGHA

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Border Governors Conference

• Annual conferences include governors from all ten
  border states, ongoing work tables
• Update- 24th annual conference (August 2006,
  Austin) will focus on public health emergency
  preparedness and pandemic influenza preparedness

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Border Health Risk Factor Surveillance

• Purpose- a surveillance system to monitor risk
  factors for chronic disease
• Update- in January, the binational technical team
  met and recommended improvements to survey data
  collection methodology
• Contact Carmen Sanchez-Vargas, HHS/CDC Liaison
  to the BHC

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Binational Border Health Information Platform

• Purpose- Web-based border health data system for
  researchers and policymakers
• Update- Ongoing binational collaboration to
  complete project later this year in October,
  2006.
• Contact Dr. Rafael Lozano Ascencio, Mexican
  Secretariat of Health, and Dr. Sam Notzon,
  National Center for Health Statistics, CDC/HHS

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Border Infectious Disease Surveillance (BIDS)

• Purpose- BIDS program funds binational disease
  surveillance infrastructure and has developed
  channels of communication that serve as a
  framework for future efforts in disease
  surveillance, preparedness and response.
• Update- convened 5th Annual Meeting, developed
  English/Spanish laboratory and epidemiology
  manuals, and provided diagnostic kits and
  supplies
• Contact Hector Martinez, Mexican Section

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Early Warning Infectious Disease Surveillance
(EWIDS)

• Purpose- the EWIDS Project will improve
  cross-border activities in early detection,
  identification, and reporting of infectious
  diseases associated with potential bio-terror
  agents or other major threats to public health.
• Update- on March 9, 2006, the U.S. Department of
  Health and Human Services released 5 million to
  U.S.-México Science Foundation (FUMEC), who will
  administer funds to six Mexican border states and
  the SSA
• Contact Hector Martinez, Mexican Section, and
  Christopher Hickey, OGHA

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Binational Public Health Research Forum

• Purpose- to convene a meeting between researchers
  and policymakers along the border to identify
  health research priorities.
• Status- Scheduled for October 2006
• Contact Dra. Dora Elia Cortés Hernández and
  Hector Martinez

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Lead (Pb) Issues Along the Border

• Purpose- a meeting was convened to discuss the
  issue of lead (Pb) in candy and other non-paint
  sources
• Update- the meeting took place on Jan. 26-27,
  2006. U.S. border state officials, U.S. federal
  officials, and BHC México Section Executive
  Secretary participated.
• Contact Dan Reyna, U.S. Section

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Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (TB) Efforts

• Purpose- To ensure effective transportation of
  Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) drugs
  across the U.S.-México border
• Update- The Commission coordinated a call with
  the Texas Department of State Health Services,
  PAHO, Mexican National TB Program that helped
  stakeholders to agree on strategies for
  consistent cross-border transport of TB
  medications
• Contact R.J. Dutton, Ph.D. Texas Department of
  State Health Services

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Ventanillas de Salud

• Purpose- Stations within the Mexican Consulates
  to help direct the population at risk to
  appropriate health services
• Status- Two Ventanillas de Salud were opened in
  2006. They are Tucson, Arizona and McAllen,
  Texas. Another one is expected to open later
  this year in El Paso, Texas
• Contact Paola Pliego, Mexican Section

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National Infant Immunization Week/Vaccination
Week in the Americas

• Purpose- an annual observance to promote
  immunization
• Status- There will be borderwide events,
  particularly in the State of Arizona, during the
  week of April 22-29 to promote the importance of
  immunization.
• Contact Carmen Sanchez-Vargas, HHS/CDC Liaison
  to the BHC