City of Laredo Health Director to Speak in DC on Border Health Issues
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jun 23, 2010, 0 Comments
Courtesy Xochitl Mora,
Conference will focus on issues related to public health along the U.S./Mexico border
(Laredo, TX – June 22, 2010) At the request of U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar and U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes, chair of the Congressional Border Health Caucus, City of Laredo Health Department Director Dr. Hector F. Gonzalez will be part of a panel presentation at the 5th Annual Border Health Conference in Washington, D.C., discussing relevant issues on public health along the U.S./Mexico border
Among some of the issues Gonzalez will address during his presentation is the importance of pandemic preparedness; infectious diseases and immunization; substance abuse prevention; and the realities and challenges of violence along the border to address these issues. Some of the possible solutions that will be discussed will include education, cross-border cooperation and federal and state resources.
“On the border, issues may be international in scope, but the response to the threat will always be local,” said Gonzalez.
Medical professionals from throughout the U.S./Mexico border region will be presenting at the conference, including Elmo Lopez, CEO of Doctors’ Hospital and several other Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California health professionals. Many Mexican public health agencies will also be present, discussing the most pressing and growing health challenge in the border community: TB, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. One important topic that will be addressed is identifying barriers to individuals seeking medical care and finding creative strategies, such as promotoras, to tackle this problem.
