Mexico and nine Latin American countries signed the Ministerial Declaration on Health and Migration in Mesoamerica, which seeks to improve the care of migrants in this area in order to reduce risks to regional and local public health.

At the ministerial meeting in Mexico and Mesoamerica, led by Dr. Jose Narro Robles and PAHO Director Carissa Etienne, Mexico´s Minister of Health highlighted that countries are facing one of the major challenges and priorities on the humanitarian agenda of the 21st century: migration.

Migration, he stressed, has always been part of the condition of the human being. Anthropological, sociological and scientific evidence shows that, over the years, people have moved and searched for spaces other than their own due to multiple reasons, whether due to natural conditions or the interest of exploring and knowing other places.

That is why the countries of Mesoamerica should seek coordination with civil organizations and institutions, as well as strengthen the relationships and links between them to provide quality health care to migrants.

In her participation, PAHO Director Carissa Etienne acknowledged that human migration is one of the most difficult priorities in the area of ​​health and politics.

By 2015, 244 million people lived outside their country of origin, which is equivalent to 3.5 percent of the world's population. These figures will grow more from the change in US immigration policy.

She pointed out that some migrants cross borders in search of work and better opportunities for themselves and their families, others are forced due to armed conflicts, violence, lack of food, economic crises or natural disasters.

The circumstances facing this sector in the different stages of the migration cycle, such as the lack of adequate housing, the consumption of contaminated food and beverages, and the lack of access to basic health and sanitation services expose it to risks to its health, safety physical and mental, said Carissa Etienne.

In the session held at the headquarters of the unit, where joint strategies and initiatives were developed under the principle of shared responsibility, the representatives of the participating nations subscribed the document, which was witnessed by the director of PAHO.

For Mexico signed Dr. Jose Narro Robles; The extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Republic of Colombia in the country, Patricia Eugenia Cárdenas Santamaría; The Ministers of Health of Belize, Pablo Marin; Of Costa Rica, Fernando Llorca Castro; El Salvador, Elvia Violeta Menjívar; Guatemala, Lucrecia Hernández Mack; Honduras, Delia Rivas and, Nicaragua, Carlos Saenz, as well as the Deputy Ministers of Health of Panama, Eric Ulloa and, of the Dominican Republic, Francisco Neftali Vásquez.

Among the agreements and commitments of the ministerial declaration, read by Narro Robles include: the exchange of experiences and good practices, to identify health issues of mutual interest, facilitate cooperation and strengthen national and inter-sectoral and inter-agency work capacities, to address in a comprehensive and timely manner the health needs of migrants through partnerships, networks and multilateral frameworks.

Also, to promote the analysis of the social determination of health and migration in the region, as well as to work jointly on identifying areas of opportunity to improve the health of this sector, through the generation of evidence that strengthens the Public policy in this area.

To promote changes and improvements in the regulatory frameworks of the participating States to meet the health needs of this guild; to promote actions in the countries of Mesoamerica to achieve the transition from emergency or emergency "humanitarian assistance" to effective and safe access to health services in the country of transit or destination.

In addition, strengthen information systems in the countries of Mesoamerica and its systematization on Health and Migration, as well as promote research as a source of surveillance and evaluation of coverage and impact on health care.

The ministerial declaration considers necessary to strengthen the national and regional migration and health policies for the integral attention of the migrant with strategies that allow to minimize the health, political and social impact in the countries, as well as the Public Health Surveillance System of the population in transit.

Share, from the coordinated work, the experience of Mesoamerica in the various forums that address the issue of health and migration, and contribute the wealth of experiences of Mesoamerica to the regional and global debate in favor of the health of migrants.

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