The USMBHA is a non-profit organization established in 1943. During each of the last 65 years, the Association has celebrated an Annual Meeting. In 2007, the 65th Annual Meeting was held in South Padre Island, Texas, and in 2006 it will be held in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
The Annual Meeting of the USMBHA provides a unique opportunity for its members and other interested parties to exchange information on shared health problems, identify
priorities and discuss future actions aimed to improve the health status of border communities and inner communities heavily impacted by migration.
The 66th Annual Meeting is being organized in collaboration with the State of Sonora Health Secretariat and the Pan American Health Organization. This year's central theme is “Intersectorial Approach for a Healthy Life.”
Purpose:
To promote the dissemination of binational and border-wide research information, formulate and establish binational health policies for the border region, support epidemiological development, manage border-wide and binational health and environmental programs, as well as promote border and binational networks that address the needs of the border .
The main objectives are:
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To bring together health and environmental professionals and individuals interested in the border and binational health issues, in order to make recommendations towards the improvement of the level of health and quality of life in the border communities.
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To facilitate promotion and dissemination of border health related programs and researches; to update border health research and epidemiological findings, and to formulate and establish binational border health policies.
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To establish and develop links to address border health and environmental issues through joint collaborative efforts.
- To promote and disseminate information about environmental quality and the initiatives for environmental protection and sustainability.
The following identified priorities in border health by several groups will be the guidelines of the Meeting:
- Disease Prevention and Control
- Organized Social Response
- Social Determinants for Health
Several workshops, plenaries with expert panelists on the topics, technical-scientific presentations, and poster sessions will be presented around these selected tracks.
The meeting's target audience includes public health workers, health and environmental authorities at the federal, state, and local levels; schools of public health, medicine, nursing and social work; community based-organizations and individuals interested in border health issues.
The Annual Meeting runs along two major components: business and technical sessions. The business sessions convene the USMBHA's Governing Council, the Co-Presidents of the Conference Groups and the Binational Health Councils, and the Permanent Committees.