Secretary Sebelius meets with Mexican Secretary of Health

Secretary Sebelius met with José Ángel Córdova Villalobos, the Mexican Secretary of Health, to discuss a variety of topics including: the upcoming Global Health Security Initiative Ministerial Summit that will be held in Mexico this December, trilateral collaborations in the health security area under the framework of the North American Leaders’ Summit (NALS), the work of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, and the current status of the H1N1 virus.

Secretary Córdova indicated Mexico’s commitment to strengthening bilateral collaborations in the US-Mexico border in order to continue improving health in the region.  He drew specific attention to the need to expand laboratory capacity and infectious disease surveillance in the US and in Mexico, especially in light of H1N1’s emergence last year.  Secretary Sebelius and Secretary Córdova agreed that the United States and Mexico should share lessons learned from last year’s H1N1 outbreak and update the 2007 North American Plan for Avian and Pandemic Influenza.  This spring, the U.S. will be hosting a trilateral conference under the NALS framework for Senior Officials and Influenza Subject Matter Experts to facilitate this conversation.

Last revised: March 12, 2010