AMPATH Mexico

Submitted by: Beth Felker

AMPATH/MAPAS México Priorities:

• Evaluate, define, and care for chronic NCDs that Mexico and Texas share
  • BUAP-UT MOU Renewals: Fully executed!
  • Diabetes Working Group: helped them launch their project in SFX on diabetes risk assessment and diabetes knowledge assessment.
  •  June 17 and 28, 2024: health education workshops in community with promotoras, including a few men, on prostate cancer and general refresher on key aspects of cancer prevention and early detection. Provided promotoras certificates for participation in workshops, most-improved, highest knowledge scores, and most households visited. Since this was last workshop for four pasantes graduating in July, we had a small “despedida” (good-bye party). Promotoras and pasantes shared moving comments on their experiences working and learning together.
• Provide care and follow-up to the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the state of Puebla
  • Diabetes Task Force: Organized into two subgroups to address the model definition/development and the community engagement/needs assessment.
• Participate meaningfully in addressing the social determinants of health and translate health promotion and healthcare provision to the community
  • SSEP Public Health Department: productive meeting including representation from NCD, MCH & Reproductive health leadership with Dra Lis
  • .Health Impacts of Eco-stove installation: Conducted home visits in Colonia Agrarista and SFX and made several referrals to the health center.
  • Nutrition Working Group: supporting them get a hydroponic unit to the community and plan their garden build.
• Build capacity in public health and healthcare delivery
  • July 10, 2024: held a graduation/celebration event for the four AMPATH/MAPAS  México pasantes who will complete their social service in July 2024. All shared positive reflections of their experience with AMPATH/MAPAS México, and how this immersion experience in rural under-served communities will have an impact on their careers. Several had family members attend the event. Two pasantes will continue with our team until January 2025 and we expect new pasante(s) being assigned in August 2024.Wed, July 31, 2024 5:30-7:30pm
  • Mexico Program Orientation Dinner for Language Immersion Residents, Nutrition Group and DMS students completing their longitudinal third year project with AMPATH/MAPAS Mexico
  • Health Center in SFX now has 2 “medicos de base” general practitioners, contracted by IMSS Bienestar, so our Clinical Team Leader met them to potentially collaborate to increase the community’s use of the health center
  • .Butterfly Ultrasound Global Health program: Received approval for AMPATH/MAPAS México reduced cost and free lifelong access to their software/programs.
  • UT LLILAS Title VI: received approval for $10K for faculty travel in FY24-25. (Third year of funding; each year the amount doubles.)
• Train and research to elevate the primary care system and public health for the benefit
  • Health Informatics group: The BUAP group (DC-TIC) requested methods/data being collected (or that has been collected) by our projects to date to develop a proposal on DC-TIC data storage and management
  • Palliative Care: Coding focus group data. Will submit an abstract to AAHPM (American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care) due July 24.