U.S., Mexico Hold 65th Annual Boarder Health Conference Focusing on Migrant Health
U.S. and Mexico leaders on Monday held the 65th annual U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association meeting, at which the nations discussed collaborative efforts to address migrant health issues, the McAllen Monitor reports.
At the conference, which concludes Tuesday, researchers from both nations presented data on common health conditions among border residents including obesity; infant mortality; HIV-positive pregnant women in Tamaulipas, Mexico; disparities in treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorders; and migrant youth health. Officials discussed ways to improve access to care and eliminate disparities.
Health officials from Mexico said the country is experiencing an increase in diseases influenced by an individual's lifestyle, such as diabetes, alcoholism and sexually transmitted infections. They also raised concern about the health implications of water pollution and pesticide use.
Brian Smith, regional director of Texas Department of State Health Services' Region 11, said, "Virtually all of our diseases require a binational effort to control them," adding, "We won't be able to afford the cost of treating these chronic diseases" without a collaboration between Mexico and the U.S. (McEver, McAllen Monitor, 5/21).