[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 22604-22605]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         BINATIONAL HEALTH WEEK

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I appreciate this opportunity to join my 
friends from across the United States and Mexico to celebrate the 5th 
Annual Binational Health Week. Binational Health Week affords us an 
opportunity to reflect upon the many successful efforts made here in 
the United States in cooperation with Mexican consulates to promote 
health and well-being amongst those who might otherwise lack access to 
important health care services and to discuss what further efforts 
should be made to address shortcomings that still exist.
  Binational Health Week originated as an effort by Mexico's Secretary 
of Health to direct health care services to underserved migrant 
populations here in the United States. In October 2001, the Mexican 
consulates in California partnered with the California Department of 
Health Services to celebrate the first Binational Health Week in an 
effort to mobilize local health clinics and community organizations to 
provide services to people of Latin origin. Since then, Binational 
Health Week has expanded to cities across the United States, Mexico, 
and Canada.
  I feel strongly that we must do all that we can to encourage people 
to pursue healthy lifestyles. Between one-half and two-thirds of 
premature deaths in the United States and much of our health care costs 
are caused by just three risk factors: poor diet, physical inactivity, 
and tobacco. Promoting proper fitness and nutrition is not only good 
health policy but it is also good fiscal policy as it prevents costly 
hospitalization and reduces future costs to the taxpayer. We must work 
together at the Federal, State and local levels

[[Page 22605]]

to encourage healthy eating and exercise.
  I am excited that Binational Health week encourages the people of our 
great nations to discuss how we can work together to ensure that 
families across North America have every opportunity to enjoy good 
health and happiness.

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