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 Health & Beauty | October 2007 
Mexico, US Share Health Concerns
 Jenn Kistler - Las Cruces Sun-News
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 |  | You have to understand that these people moving back and forth, whatever disease, whatever health problems are on one side are usually seen on the other side because of this trans-border mobility.
- Paul Dulin |  | |
Las Cruces — New Mexico shares more than just a border with Mexico.
According to Paul Dulin, director of the Department of Health's Office of Border Health, residents in communities on the U.S.-Mexico border share similar health conditions.
To bring awareness to border health issues, the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission will coordinate events in New Mexico, California, Arizona, Texas and in six Mexican states from Oct. 14 to 19 in celebration of fourth annual Border Binational Health Week.
"The intent and importance of this is to try to bring focus to border health issues and also to use this week to go out and provide a series of services and raise awareness about public health along the border," Dulin said.
Dulin explained that people in border communities share economic difficulties, drug addiction problems and diseases such as diabetes and tuberculosis.
More than 1 million people legally cross the Mexico border into the United States each day, Dulin said. In El Paso, 100,000 people cross into the United States, while smaller ports of entry, such as Columbus, N.M., count 3,500 border crossings each day, he continued.
"You have to understand that these people moving back and forth, whatever disease, whatever health problems are on one side are usually seen on the other side because of this trans-border mobility," Dulin said.
More than 30 agencies and organizations from southern New Mexico, El Paso and Ju rez have joined together to put on Border Binational Health Week events to raise awareness of health conditions and increase access to residents in communities on both sides of the border.
"Essentially, we share a lot more than a border with Mexico since diseases don't respect borders," Dulin said.
Jenn Kistler can be reached at jkistler@lcsun-news.com
If you go
What: Family health fair
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 19
Where: Head Start building, 821 E. Lohman Ave. in Las Cruces
Info: 373-3086
For a list of Border Binational Health Week events in other counties, visit www.borderhealth.org |
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