Border Health Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is defined as the United States-Mexico Border Region?
Answer: The United States-Mexico border region is defined as the area of land being 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) north and south of the international boundary. It stretches approximately 2000 miles from the southern tip of Texas to California as set forth by the La Paz agreement signed in 1983. The area includes: Four U.S. States - Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas and six Mexican states - Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California. In addition there are approximately 25 Native American Nations located within the Border Region. According to the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, the population of this region is estimated at 13 million and is expected to double by the year 2025.
Question: What are some of the unique health care challenges of the US-Mexico Border Region?
Answer: The US-Mexico border region is predominantly rural with 73% of the border counties designated as Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 63% of the counties designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for primary medical care. In addition a variety of other factors have negative impacts on the health of the region including poor nutrition, increased levels of pollution, high poverty rates, lack of health insurance and inadequate education.
For additional information about the health status and the health needs of the US-Mexico border region see the National Rural Health Association's Policy Brief:
Addressing the Health Care Needs in the US-Mexico Border Region.
Question: What organizations are working to address the health care problems in the US-Mexico region?
Answer: Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas all have state offices delegated to border health issues in their states. Please see Contacts section of this information guide. Also, the United States-México Border Health Commission (BHC) was created as a binational health commission in July 2000, with the signing of an agreement by the Secretary of Health and Human Services of the United States and the Secretary of Health of México. The mission of the United States-México Border Health Commission (BHC) is to provide international leadership to optimize health and quality of life along the U.S.-México border. A listing of other
border health organizations working to solve border health problems can be found on the BHC website.
Last reviewed 10/11/2011
