Office of Border Health

U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission Arizona Delegation

The U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission (USMBHC) works toward political changes by creating awareness about the U.S. Mexico border, its people, and its environment.

It educates others about the unique challenges at the border through outreach efforts, data collection and analysis, and joint collaborative efforts with public and private partners in the border health community.

The USMBHC serves as a rallying point for shared concerns about the U.S.-Mexico border and as a catalyst for action to develop plans directed toward solving specific health related problems.

The primary goal of the USMBHC Arizona Delegation is to work toward strengthening and supporting current binational public health projects and programs along the Arizona-Sonora border which supports the Commission's mission of providing international leadership to optimize health and quality of life along the United States-Mexico border. In collaboration with the Arizona Department of Health Services Office of Border Health, the Secretaria de Salud de Sonora, the USMBHC Arizona and Sonora Delegation Outreach Offices target activities on the following strategic directions and principals:

• Impacting border health access/Leadership
• Impacting border health research or data collection/Focus
• Impacting border health promotion/Venue

In addition to the strategic directions and principles, the USMBHC has identified outlets to achieve these directions and goals:

• Health Promotion, Communication and Outreach
• Research
• Local Initiatives

Impacting Border Health Access

Through health promotion, communication and outreach, the USMBHC seeks to impact border health access and promote and provide international leadership along the border. Along the Arizona-Sonora border, our efforts to address border health access are the following:

Binational Health Councils

The USMBHC Arizona and Sonora Delegation Outreach Offices support meetings and program developments within the binational councils (COBINAS) including workforce development, and actively participate in the activities carried out by the three local COBINAS of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora/Yuma County; Ambos Nogales; and Noreste de Sonora/Cochise County, Arizona and the trinational health council of the Tohono O’Odham Nation/West Pima County/Sasabe and Sonoita, Sonora.

Health and Research Forums

The goal of the health forums is to provide binational discussion to address public health issues and problems that affect the Arizona-Sonora border populations. The forums will provide a wide range of information regarding specific regional disparities, models of excellence in addressing these needs, current research along the Arizona-Sonora Border region, the effects of migration on public health, and the current status of TB and HIV/AIDS on the border.

Information for Action Conferences

This conference provides a forum for binational information sharing focused on health risks, health status, and health care programs, and projects addressing major health care issues along the Arizona Sonora border region.

• 2007 Conference Summary
• 2005 Conference Summary
• 2004 Conference Presentations
  • How to Change the World: Politics, Policy and Public Health - Joel Meister
  • Evolucion del sistema de salud en Mexico - Baldemar Corral Villegas
  • Trabajando mas alla de las fronteras - Catalina Denman
  • Conociendo y conviviendo con la diabetes tendremos mas y mejor calidad de vida - Eva Mazlum de Davis

Healthy Border/Healthy Gente 2010 Mini-Grants

Through collaboration with the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, the USMBHC Arizona Outreach Office offers mini-grants to organizations within border communities:

• Coordinate local Healthy Border/Healthy Gente 2010 projects
• Promote/market Healthy Border/Healthy Gente 2010 objectives at the local level
• Develop new community projects in response to Healthy Border/Healthy Gente 2010 objectives

For information regarding grantees, please contact USMBHC Arizona-Outreach Office (see Contact Information).

Border Binational Health Week, National Infant Immunization Week, Vaccination Week of the Americas

Border Binational Health Week (BBHW), National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), and Vaccination Week of the Americas (VWA) and just three of the many events where the USMBHC collaborates closely with community health centers, county health departments, Arizona Department of Health Services, the Secretaria de Salud de Sonora, federal, national, and international health organizations, and the medical and public health professionals to promote healthy lifestyles along the border.

Office of Border Health Newsletter

Created in collaboration with the Office of Border Health staff, colleagues and partners from ADHS and the community, the Office of Border Health Newsletter provides an inside view of Arizona border health news.

• November 2007 Edtion
• June 2007 Edition
• January 2007 Edition
• October 2006 Edition

Impacting Border Health Research or Data Collection

The USMBHC Arizona Outreach Office seeks to impact border health research and/or data collection by means of increasing research opportunities or personnel along the Arizona-Sonora border.

Internships

The USMBHC Arizona Delegation provides support and opportunities for internships, both graduate and undergraduate, along the Arizona-Sonora border.

Internship projects supported through the USMBHC Arizona Delegation Office, include:

Impacting Border Health Promotion

The USMBHC Arizona and Sonora Delegation Offices support local initiatives that promote border health, with special interest in workforce development and training. As an identified need and valued entity, professional development is supported through the office for promotores, public health workers and medical professionals.