February 8, 2008
WEB FEATURE
Health Initiative of the Americas hosts binational exchange program
In January, UC Berkeley hosted the Binational Promotoras Conference, which brought more than 250 participants together from 93 organizations from Mexico and the United States. The event was put on by the Health Initiative of the Americas (HIA) in conjunction with Mexico's Secretary of Health and the Mexican Social Security Institute.
Promotoras, or outreach workers, provide outreach and education to members of their own community. Often their training is on-the-job, not formal. Promotoras are an integral part in linking underserved populations to existing resources and services.
The goal of the conference was to share best practices and strategies already implemented by diverse networks of promotoras in Mexico and the United States in order to develop a binational promotoras model. There were sessions that focused on the opportunities and challenges faced by health professionals working with immigrant populations; binational aspects on migrant workers' mental health; occupational health and safety issues; and migrant women's sexual and reproductive health. Conference participants also worked to define the research agenda on migration and health for the next 10 years.
"One of the greatest challenges of this century is how we transition from a 20th century concept of national citizenry to a broader concept of global citizenry," UC Berkeley School of Public Health Dean Stephen Shortell said of the event. "This involves recognizing the basic needs we all share as individuals, including access to quality health services regardless of border or national origin."
The HIA, which was established in January 2001 under the auspices of the California Policy Research Center of the UC Office of the Presidency, recently joined the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. The initiative's objective is to coordinate and optimize the availability of health resources for Mexican immigrants and their families through bilateral training, research, and health promotion activities. In addition to the conference, they also conduct a Binational Promotoras Exchange Program, which is a one-week cultural immersion program for Mexican and U.S. promotoras. Through site and home visits, the participants experience first-hand the context in which the immigrant populations live and work.