Speech #990153216

The dramatic Federal funding cutbacks since 1981 have crippled many efforts to provide this basic health care so critically needed by our communities. and the worst effects have been felt in these medically underserved populations along the United StatesMexico border. In terms of demography. the United StatesMexico border includes States. counties. and municipalities with diverse illness patterns and health care delivery systems. There is an extreme heterogeneity of peoples: rural and urban Mexican nationals. first generation immigrants and fourthgeneration U.S.-born MexicanAmericans. reservation and urban native Americans. and rural and urban Anglo Americans. Other interrelated factors include geographic isolation. migration. international differences in health care systems. high incidences of death from curable diseases. and poor climate and sanitation. At the present time. we have only two main resources by which to address this health care crisis along the United StatesMexico border.