142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

310664
A cross-border initiative providing all-terrain wheelchairs and prostheses to underserved non-ambulatory individuals in Mexico

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Jean Chang , Arizona Prevention Research Center, University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ
Elena Montano-Rock , University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Sarah Sumii, CPO , Hanger Clinic, Tucson, AZ
Holly Olszewski, CPO , Hanger Clinic, Tucson, AZ
Adalberto Gutierrez , ARSOBO, Nogales Sonora, Mexico
Francisco Trujillo , ARSOBO, Tucson, AZ
Burris Duncan, MD , Health Promotion Sciences Division, University of Arizona College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ
Issues: In Mexico, the non-ambulatory population is growing due to increasing numbers of amputees secondary to complications of diabetes or accidents. Many are underserved and cannot afford wheelchairs or prostheses. Donated conventional wheelchairs are not appropriate for the rough terrain and break easily. Formal prosthetic shops are non-existent. Many amputees stay at home or beg on the streets. The issues are ambulation and jobs.

Description: ARSOBO (ARizona/SOnora/BOrder), a Mexican NGO, hires wheelchair riders to construct all-terrain wheelchairs and amputees to fabricate prosthetics. ARSOBO’s philosophy: a not-for-profit ‘social’ business; charge an amount to ensure ownership and dignity but only what families can afford; and hire those with disabilities to construct the medical device they use. The wheelchairs can withstand and circumvent rough terrain and can be customized if special sitting is required. The cross-border prosthetic process: volunteer prosthetists from Hanger (Tucson) assist our novice prosthetist employee make the casts in Mexico.  Then our employee works in Tucson Hanger using donated components to fabricate the prostheses. In the past 3 years, 93 all-terrain wheelchairs have been constructed, 28 were customized. In the past 7 months, 34 prosthetic legs have been fabricated.

Lessons Learned: Disability is more a social than a medical situation. This successful non-profit social business model can be replicated in other community settings. Strong partnerships are vital and should come from both sides of the border. Sustainability should be paramount in any decision. 

Recommendations:  ARSOBO will expand to more rural communities in northern Mexico and improve the lives of others.

Learning Areas:

Administration, management, leadership
Advocacy for health and health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Define the health care access problems in non-ambulatory population in Mexico, discuss a not-for-profit ‘social’ business, demonstrate ARSOBO’s social business, explain a successful social business concept that can be applied to different community settings.

Keyword(s): Accessibility, Disabilities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have participated in this clinic and am aware of its non-profit social business model.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.