Health

Health

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What’s the issue?

The San Diego-Tijuana border region faces a number of trans-boundary health challenges that are unique to this fast growing binational region. Infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS respect no political boundaries and are affecting residents on both sides of the international border. There is also a prevalence of certain ailments among Latinos, such as cervical cancer, diabetes and obesity and the demand to address these illnesses is growing in the San Diego-Tijuana region. Many San Diegans cross into Mexico in search of culturally competent and affordable medical care and medications. Absent such services, many are opting to go without medical care. Worse still, in California over 70% of migrant farm workers and their families are without any form of medical insurance coverage. Another long-standing trans-boundary issue is sustance abuse which is a particular problem among San Diego area youth that travel to Baja California and engage in under-age drinking and the use of drugs.

Why Should You Care?

If the San Diego-Tijuana region is to prosper, we need to promote more livable and healthy communities. Yet, because of the growing impacts of globalization and human migration on our binational region—particularly the growing prevalence of squatter communities and overcrowded living conditions--infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and hepatitis are on the rise on both sides of the San Diego-Tijuana border, particularly among the region’s migrant community. Many otherwise preventable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cervical cancer are increasing among the region’s Latino population and could be prevented with more pro-active health education. Trans-border health impacts are not limited to the working poor, as diseases do not discriminate difference in wealth, affecting vulnerable populations such as the very young and the elderly of all social classes. Nowhere is this more event present than in addressing cross border under-age drinking and drug use problem.