by the El Reportero staff and Marvin J. Ramírez
De izq-der: Los cónsules (Consuls of) de Perú, Nicolas Alfonso Roncagliolo; Ecuador, vice-cónsul Cecilia Naranjo; El Salvador, José R. Antonio Carballo; México, Carlos Felix Corona; Guatemala, Ana Patricia Ramírez; Colombia, José Miguel Castiblanco; y de Honduras, Francisco Vanegas.(photos by Marvin J. Ramirez)
For the eighth consecutive year, citizens of towns across the Americas will be hosting a Binational Health Week, starting on Monday, October 6, one of the largest volunteer mobilizations toward providing services and information to Latino immigrants without health insurance.
Over 140 work teams from México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia and Ecuador will participate. At a press conference held October 1 at the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, Consuls of Perú, Nicolás Alfonso Roncagliolo; of Ecuador, vice-consul Cecilia Naranjo; of El Salvador, Rafael Antonio Carballo; of México, Carlos Felix Corona; of Guatemala, Patricia Ramírez; of Colombia, José Miguel Castiblanco; and of Honduras, Francisco Vanega, inaugurated the nine-day event.
The Nicaraguan Consul Denis Galeano Cornejo, who originally was not included in the group, announced that he would participate at the last minute; however, he was not present at the press conference. Nicaraguans are one of the largest immigrant groups in the Bay Area, after Mexicans and Salvadorians.
The activities of Binational Health Week will take place in 43 U.S. cities and three Canadian provinces. Jessica López, spokesperson for the Mexican Consulate in San Francisco, said that the event has worked year after year since 2001 to further its goal of improving the health of Latino immigrant families and communities in the United States. She explained that the activities include information on diverse health themes, basic health exams and resources about medical insurance programs. All of the services offered during the week are free.
Binational Health Week, which involved months of preparation, is coordinated by the Health Initiative of the Americas, in which the school of Public Health at UC Berkeley participates, along with the Latin American consulates and the Institute of Mexicans Abroad. Last year, more than 3,941 activities, with the participation of 15,497 volunteers and 6,586 agencies offered services to 301,661 people. This year, it hopes to serve even more people.
“Health is a theme that affects the Hispanic community, there is little preventive medicine,” said Felix Corona. Latinos represent the largest and youngest minority in the nation, at the same time being the group with least access to medical insurance and services. Binational Health Week is part of a movement to distribute information about health care to immigrant populations without medical coverage. This year’s theme is autism, which requires early attention.
Binational Health Week will conclude October 15. Some of the most important actvities in the Bay Area are:
- Monday, Oct. 7 Health Education 4:00 to 6:00 PM San Mateo Council 2600 Middlefield Rd. Redwood City 94063.
- Tuesday, Oct. 8 Mental Health and Substance Abuse 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Mexican Consulate 532 Folsom St. San Francisco.
- Thursday, Oct. 9 Obesity Prevention Day 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Mexican Consulate 532 Folsom St. San Francisco.
- Friday, Oct. 10 Diabetes Prevention Day 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Mexican Consulate 532 Folsom St. San Francisco. Also, Latin Health Fair (Tests for diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and information on autism, breast cancer and obesity, HIV prevention and mental health). 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Mission Vocational and Language School 2929 19th St. San Francisco.
- Saturday Oct. 11 Senior Adult Day (flu vaccinations for adults and care for diabetes patients) 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM 22331 Mission Blvd. Tiburcio Vásquez Health Center, Inc. San Francisco.
For more information visit: www.semanabinacionaldesalud.com.
