Washington, DC (June 22, 2006) – Today, Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) participated in a panel discussion focusing on “Balancing Urgent Threats with Everyday Health Issues” at a Border Health Conference in Washington, DC.  The Conference, convened by Congressman Silvestre Reyes (TX-16), featured elected officials, representatives from health coalitions, the Centers for Disease Control, and Hispanic-Serving health professional schools who discussed the unique, and often overlooked, health concerns facing border communities.

Congressman Hinojosa’s remarks highlighted how obesity, high rates of diabetes and the uninsured are affecting communities throughout the 15th District.  The Centers for Disease Control recently reported that one in three children born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes, and in minority communities this increases to one in two children.  Today, nearly 46 million Americans, including more than 8 million children, are living without health insurance. In Texas, nearly 5,600,000 people are uninsured; that’s 25 percent of the population, and an increase of more than half a million people since 2000.  More than 80 percent of the uninsured in this country are in families with at least one worker.

“What we cannot ignore is that these issues are all interrelated,” said Hinojosa.  “Poor eating habits, a lack of information about prevention and nutritional services, a lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare have all led to diseases and conditions that are not only treatable, but are preventable.”

In addition to higher instances of diabetes and obesity, tuberculosis on the border is double that of the national rate; three of the ten poorest counties in the United States are located in the border area; and approximately 432,000 people live in 1,200 colonias in Texas and New Mexico, which means they do not have access to potable drinking water, or modern sanitation systems.

“Solving our country’s health crisis will not happen overnight,” continued Hinojosa.  “There must be a collaborative effort between Congress, health insurance providers, and health care professionals to develop real, long-lasting solutions to these problems.  We can reduce the instances of diabetes, we can prevent obesity rates from skyrocketing, and we can get people the coverage they need.  It is not just an issue of a better quality of life for Americans; it is quite literally about future economic strength.”