Border health commission sworn in

The members of a newly created bilateral panel were sworn in today at the OAS office along the western border. The Belize/Guatemala Border Health Commission is made up of seven health officials from each country who will work toward promoting better health on both sides of the frontier. “Illness respects no borders”, said Minister of Health Vildo Marin at today’s ceremonies. Experts have long pointed out that because of the high volume of traffic between Benque Viejo and Melchor de Mencos an isolated approach to controlling diseases like dengue, cholera and malaria is not effective. Similarly, with the Mopan River flowing from the Peten into Cayo, treatment of environmental health problems requires a joint approach. Presiding over the swearing in was PAHO representative in Belize, Dr. Kathleen Israel. The Commission held its first meeting this afternoon in Melchor.

In related news, the Government of Korea has donated fifty thousand U.S. dollars to the O.A.S. Fund for Peace, specifically earmarked to finance OAS activities in the border area. South Korea has been a permanent observer at the Organization of American States since 1981.