Since the 1980's, border governmental and non-governmental organizations have worked to build support for a border health and environmental commission to deal with public health issues. Implementing legislation to negotiate an agreement with Mexico and establish a commission was passed in 1994, and funding to create the commission was provided in 1998. Commission members are a mix of border State officials and representatives of border communities and constituencies; the U.S. delegation is headed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Mexican delegation is headed by the Minister of Health. The Border Health Commission has two primary goals: First, to institutionalize a focus in each country on border health that can transcend political change. The commission will provide an effective, sustainable platform for advocacy, heightened public awareness and building a consensus for action on health needs on the border. The commission can transcend political change thanks to the diversity of its membership, and by building strong relationships and linkages among its members and other interested stakeholders. The second goal of the commission is to create a venue for binational discussion to address public health issues and problems affecting the U.S.-Mexico border populations. Ensuring that the commission becomes an effective venue for discussion of common health issues will be a challenge, in part because of other existing binational venues. The full support of the commission provided by both national governments, along with the development of effective joint activities, will help the commission to become the definitive site for binational public health discussions.
Learning Objectives: 1)Describe the major health and socioeconomic disparities between those living along the southern U.S. border with Mexico 2)Identify the key provisions of PL 103-400: The U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission Act 3)Describe the USMBHC's two primary goals and what the Commission is authorized to do. 4)Identify the Commission's implementation actions from 1994 through mid-2001. 5)Identify the 14 areas addressed by the 25 Healthy Gente 2010 objectives
Keywords: International Health,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.