Preventative Medicine

One of the most efficient ways of combating disease is through the practice of preventative medicine.  Physical exercise is recognized as the key way to combat high levels of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.  Reduced consumption of alcohol and other harmful substances will also decrease disease levels.

Vaccination campaigns are another important way to prevent illness.  Baja California Sur has treated 99.5% of children ages one through five with polio, measles, mumps, and TB injections, ranking the state fifth nationally.  To avoid atypical outbreaks of adult whooping cough and other epidemiological outbreaks, a program has been implemented to administer vaccinations to people between the ages of 13 and 49 who have not been vaccinated during the last four years.

Nationwide, the health sector has implemented a systematic campaign to detect cervical, uterine, and breast cancer in women.  Baja California Sur has experienced a decreased rate of cervical/uterine cancer in recent years; the national incidence ranking in 2002 of 28th decreased to eighth in 2003.  This can be directly traced to the success of the detection program, though the mortality rates from these diseases continue to be high.[1]

Traditional or alternative medicine is re-emerging as a form of preventative medicine.  Although migrant day laborers in rural agricultural areas where medical attention is scarce tend to seek treatment by means of traditional medicine, alternative medicine is not in reality an option for the prevention or cure of illness due to the scarcity of practitioners.  This is likely due to naiveté about the benefits of alternative medicine by the general population, as well as to the high costs of consultation and treatment required.

Health institutions and a few nonprofits have initiated actions to promote a culture of prevention, including the IMSS cooking for diabetes program, and the Teddá Belmacú “Heart Week” campaign. The impact of these programs would undoubtedly be greater if a culture of prevention among the state’s population prevailed.