Portfolio Winter 1999-2000

Winter 1999-2000

Agencies Tackle Health Problems on Both Sides of the California/Mexico Border

s traffic between the United States and Mexico increases because of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), health care agencies are faced with the growing needs of millions of people who live and work in the contiguous region spanning both sides of the border.

Border cities, such as San Diego-Tijuana and Calexico-Mexicali, share mutual problems of rapid population growth, poverty and unplanned industrial development that can lead to serious health effects. In addition, the area’s infrastructure and public services are unable to provide some of the most basic disease prevention measures, such as ensuring an adequate water supply and properly disposing of sewage and hazardous wastes.

"Our southern border is an area that needs and deserves special attention in terms of disease prevention and health promotion," said Gary Yates, president and CEO of The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). "This focus is especially important as we work to improve the health of low-income people in our culturally diverse state. The immigrant population in our southern California border area clearly falls within that mandate."

To address the region’s complex health problems, TCWF joined The California Endowment in its funding of Project Concern International (PCI) to create the Border Health Initiative (BHI). TCWF’s portion totaled $1 million and was awarded in March 1998 for the first two years of the project.

The BHI works primarily to build collaborations among community-based organizations and public health agencies on both sides of the California-Mexico border that are addressing contagious disease and substance abuse problems. The Alliance Healthcare and Ford Foundations also provide funding on the Mexican side of the border.

"Border health is an extraordinarily complex problem that requires dealing with cultures and bureaucracies in different countries and counties on both sides of the border," said Ruth Holton, TCWF senior program officer. "Even more problematic is the fact that each entity may have very different perceptions of the severity of the health problems they mutually face."

Despite the challenges, PCI staff has begun to develop infrastructure and raise the awareness of governmental and community-based organizations about how they can work together to address the problems.