The Challenge of Chronic Diseases along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Event Date: Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

The Americas Program and the Global Health Policy Center of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, together with the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF), invite you to a half-day event:

The Challenge of Chronic Diseases along the U.S.-Mexico Border
February 9, 2010
8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Center for Strategic and International Studies
B1 Conference Center
1800 K Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20006

The 11.8 million people living on both sides of the US-Mexico border share striking similarities in the health problems they face. In recent years, migration from rural to urban environments, combined with poor urban planning, has dramatically altered the lifestyle of these border populations. Chronic, non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and liver disease are now the leading cause of death in the area.

The costs incurred by a sharp rise in chronic disease are placing an increasing burden on the public healthcare systems on both sides of the border. The rising rate of chronic disease leads to continued increases in health insurance premiums for the region’s employers and increases the rate of employee turnover, causing considerable human suffering and threatening the economic competitiveness of the entire region.

Please join the CSIS Americas Program and Global Health Policy Center, the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) and the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce at a half-day event to examine the unique health challenges posed in the US-Mexico border region and to discuss innovative options for addressing these challenges through educational outreach, workplace wellness programs, and bi-national and cross-sectoral partnerships.

The Honorable José Reyes Ferriz, Mayor of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, will open the session with remarks focused on social, economic, and political impacts of chronic diseases in the border city of more than one million people. Following his remarks, panelists will discuss the challenge of chronic diseases across the region, followed by a second panel featuring innovative efforts to address the growing chronic disease burden through outreach and education involving the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and bi-national partnerships.


To RSVP, please contact Ms. Taylor Jardno at americas@csis.org or (202) 775 3211

For an agenda, please cut and paste this url on your web browser:
http://csis.org/event/challenge-chronic-diseases-along-us-mexico-border