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Country Profile
Mexico
Health Promotion in Mexico
by Dr. Carlos Castillo-Salgado
- Facts
- Health Promotion in Mexico
- Heart to Heart
- A New Health Promotion Model
- Clean Environment
- Nutrition
- Helping the Whole Country
Population 94.7 million, with 2.3 million births and approximately 425,000 deaths per year.
1995 literacy rate, 89 percent (91 percent for men, and 87.2 percent for women).
71 percent of men had some degree of secondary education versus 65 percent of women.
In 1996, life expectancy at birth was 73.3 years (76.4 years for women and 70.1 years for men).
Most frequent causes of death cardiovascular disease (a rate of 69.4 per 100,000 in 1995); malignant neoplasm (52.6); accidents (38.8); diabetes mellitus (36.4); cerebrovascular disease (25.5); and disorders originating in the perinatal period of (22.4).
In Mexico, health promotion objectives focus on disease prevention and control, as defined by the Ministry of Health. Working strategies to help satisfy these objectives focus on health education, social participation, and educational communication. They are connected to six different tracks: 1) family health, 2) comprehensive health of school children, 3) comprehensive health of adolescents, 4) healthy municipalities, 5) health care exercises, and 6) development of educational content. A key component is the healthy municipalities strategy, which was fostered the political leadership of heads of municipalities and the organized participation of society in defining priorities and executing local programs that deal with health promotion. The Mexican Healthy Municipalities Network now encompasses more than 300 municipalities in every state in the country.
In 1996, the "Heart to Heart project", was launched. This project integrates initiatives of the private business sector, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Secretariat of Health under the aegis of the national health authority. Heart to Heart is conducting a major mass communication campaign to reduce tobacco use and sedentary lifestyles, and to promote healthy eating habits. The country also has adopted the healthy schools strategy which works to transform environments, conditions, and lifestyles in the schools. An agreement was formalized between PAHO and the Ministry of Health on the certification of safe hospitals to address their safety requirements.
In 1997, the Secretariat of Health established a new priority disease prevention and control model, with 10 substantive programs: reproductive health, child health care, health care for adults and the elderly, vector-borne diseases, mycobacteriosis, cholera, epidemiological emergencies and disasters, HIV/AIDS and other STDs, and addictions. For each of these programs, health promotion and research on health services were defined as tools for strengthening the programs and the three support mechanisms, epidemiological surveillance, statistical information, and comprehensive supervision.
The National Water Commission, in collaboration with the Secretariat of Health, has a national clean water program to ascertein the quality of the water being used for human consumption. The program monitors contaminants and levels of residual chlorine, and seeks solutions to pollution. In the Mexico City metropolitan area, a multi-million-dollar investment program is underway to improve sewerage services wastewater treatment plants. A multi-sectoral program to improve air quality is also being carried out. Its objective is to protect health by gradually and permanently reducing the levels of air pollution. Among other measures, the program includes ongoing monitoring of pollutants; compulsory semiannual inspection of motor vehicle emissions; control of emission from industries, gas stations, and other establishments; factory closings; and restricting the use of automobiles in environmental emergencies.
In 1996 the Secretariat of Health began modernizing health promotion and food control, seeking greater efficiency in guaranteeing food safety from production, through distribution, and to consumption. Also, there is a program for monitoring salt samples were properly iodized. The fluoridation of salt for domestic consumption dates back to 1994, and its distribution is limited to the regions where the water lacks fluoride. Semiannual four years of age in 1,318 high-risk municipalities.
There are food assistance programs for poor families. One of the most prominent is PROGRESA program, which in 1997 was launched in 524 municipalities in 22 states, covering 400,000 families. The program provided nutritional supplements to pregnant and breast-feeding women, monetary support to mothers to improve nutrition and well-being at home, training in hygiene and caring for family health, and a basic package of health services.
In addition, the National Institute for Indigenous Culture, with the backing of the Government Secretariats, conducts programs with health, food, education, and basic sanitation activities for 59 ethnic groups located in 1,000 municipios and 9,500 towns and villages. The orientation of health promotion includes the concepts of "healthy people, healthy spaces".
Dr. Carlos Castillo-Salgado, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H. is Regional Advisor in Epidemiology for the Communicable Diseases Program at the Pan American Health Organization/Worl Health Organization, 525 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037-2895, Tel: (202)-974-3327 / Fax: (202)-223-5971, e-mail: CASTILLC@PAHOH.org.
