Rapid industrialization and population growth have produced profound environmental stresses along the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite efforts by both governments, risks to human health remain a significant problem. The goal of this project is to reduce exposure to environmental hazards, with a focus on children, by improving the capacity of lay community health workers (promotores) in U.S. communities along the US-Mexico border to raise public awareness and inform their peers about such hazards and how to minimize exposure. A seondary goal is to improve the capacity of health professionals in the same communities to recognize, manage, and report pesticide related illnesses. The objectives are: 1) improve knowledge of sources of environmental hazards and ways to minimize exposure; 2) improve knowledge of basic sanitation, referral resources for medical care and legal assistance, 3) understand how to report exposure to agricultural pesticides, 4) improve leadership and communication skills, 5) strengthen public participation through community mobilzation, and 6) develop mechanisms facilitating cross-border sharing of environmental health information.

Governments:
Government of United States of America - Dept of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration
Government of United States of America - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Major Groups:
Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc (United States of America)
Organizacion en California de Lidres Campesinas (United States of America)
Puentes de Amistad (United States of America)
Texas Rural Legal Aid (United States of America)