WORKING FOR A HEALTHY BORDER COMMUNITY

Health issues were an important topic for the U.S. México border community during the month of October. Four  initiatives related to children, pregnant women, and the community in general were part of several discussions that took place on both sides of the border.

An initiative to promote the health of border children, newborn to five years old, was discussed in a landmark meeting of wives of border leaders.  The first ladies of Texas, El Paso, Piedras Negras, Acuña Nuevo León, Ciudad Juárez, and Chihuahua met on October 7 at the University of  Texas El Paso (UTEP) to organize the First Ladies' Children Summit that will be held on April 20, 1999.

The First Ladies agreed that the major problems children face in this region are poverty, health, development and malnutrition.  "We want to give children the opportunity to grow up healthy and free of abuse and neglect," said Kenna Ramírez, First Lady of El Paso.

During this meeting, where the six First Ladies met one another for the first time, they committed themselves to work together for the benefit of children. As Laura Bush, wife of Texas Governor George W. Bush, explains, "We will work with national and international experts to try to find solutions to health, poverty and education problems."

PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF PREGNANT WOMEN

Another important health initiative was implemented in the first weeks of October, the protection of pregnant women's rights.  The Cd. Juárez non governmental Organizations (NGOs) started a new campaign that plans to implement a federal law against using pregnancy tests during the hiring process of the factory workers (maquiladoras).

According to De la Rosa Cedillos, an activist, "The pregnancy test in the work place shows that we live in a society that is against women, children life, and the survival of human species."  She also explained that they don't blame maquiladoras, but the government for not  protecting women's rights.

The campaign in favor of pregnant women held a demonstration in México's capitol on October 22.  The main goal was to gather signatures from the women that have been affected by this and other harassments such as job application questions about their sex lives, enforcement of  contraceptive use, periodic pregnancy testing, and the termination of employee contracts because of  pregnancy.
 
FIGHTING THE STATISTICS WITH PREVENTION PROGRAMS

Health was the main issue in Ciudad Juárez elementary schools and high schools during the last week of October.  Thousands of children were vaccinated On October 26. This immunization program, that will last three weeks, is part of National Vaccination Week, geared  to combat measles among children.

According to Oscar Ibarra Heredia, director of Juárez Health Services, there are approximately 130,000 children in the city, and with National Vaccination Week, 95 percent of them should be vaccinated. During the first week of  implementation, this program visited 216 schools and 9,600 measles vaccinations were administered

Also, a new program for education and community prevention will be offered by the Cd. Juárez General  Hospital, especially to those that don't have medical insurance.  This program will focus on malnutrition, however, other health concerns will be covered such as cancer, high risk pregnancies, diabetes, and heart attacks.  This program will last three years, and costs for medical services related to these problems will be subsidized by the North Foundation of El Paso.

On a related health note, according to the National Nutrition Institute, malnutrition is an increasingly serious problem in México. Malnutrition statistics are even higher in México than in Africa (levels of malnutrition in México are at 35 percent where in Africa they have only reached 30 percent).  Adolfo Chávez, economist, explained that the south and southeast parts of México are the regions hardest hit.  And while malnutrition is not as severe in the north region of México, it is still a problem in border towns like Cd. Juárez.  For this reason, initiatives such as the one implemented by the Juárez General Hospital are certainly welcome.

Source:  El Diario