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Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here today in Ciudad Juarez, one of the most dynamic places on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Whenever I visit the border, not only do I feel at home, but also I am always impressed with the varied and productive ways organizations and individuals from both countries work together to pursue common goals and contribute to better health and quality of life for citizens on both sides of our common border.
I am proud to announce today that the U.S. government is donating more than $1 million for four new initiatives that address specific health challenges in four locations along the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana, Agua Prieta, Monterrey, and Ciudad Juarez.
In Tijuana, U.S government funds will support an initiative called “Puentes de Esperanza” addressing multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
In Monterrey, the grant will aid the Instituto Nuevo Amanecer in providing vocational and job skills training for disabled youth.
In Agua Prieta, U.S. assistance will go toward the purchase of emergency medical equipment for the General Hospital in Agua Prieta, Sonora. This follows on the successful precedent set by the Nogales General Hospital in 2004 where the U.S. donated $365,000 for emergency care infrastructure.
And finally here in Ciudad Juarez, we will support combining TB and HIV strategies for advocacy and education for people living with HIV/AIDS.
The United States has made the global fight against HIV/AIDS a major priority of its foreign policy. This is not only for humanitarian reasons, but because the spread of HIV threatens the prosperity, stability and development of nations all over the world.
President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which extends to 120 countries around the world, is the largest commitment ever by a single nation toward an international health objective, and a prime example of U.S. commitment on this issue.
The collaboration between our governments is ongoing in the area of infectious diseases; we are proud to work in partnership with Mexico to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis and mitigate the impact of these diseases.
I would like to recognize especially Secretary Julio Frenk-Mora for the strong public commitment he has shown in the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially with respect to eliminating the stigma and discrimination that so often accompany it.
For the initiative in Ciudad Juarez, we are particularly pleased to have as our partner the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Association, an institution that has been working to improve communication and solutions for common health issues on the border for the last 64 years, and we thank Dr. Manuel Robles Linares, Executive Director, for joining us here today.
For the people of the United States it is a privilege to join with the people of Mexico to continue developing new and innovative responses to the threat that diseases pose to our world and our community.
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