California-Mexico AIDS Initiative

Purpose of Initiative

  • To address the needs of the Mexican migrant population in California with respect to HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in the fields of epidemiology, prevention, health services, and policy.
  • To collaborate jointly with the  Mexican National Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control (CONASIDA) and the California DHS, Office of AIDS.

Background

There are over four million Mexican immigrants/migrants in California.  Mexico has a lower HIV prevalence than the U.S. The tenet of the California-Mexico AIDS Initiative is that migration leads to conditions and experiences that increase the risk of becoming HIV infected in the U.S.

In April of 2001, officials from the Mexican federal government and the University of California Office of the President developed the California-Mexico AIDS Initiative as part of a broader effort to improve the quality of Mexican migrant communities.

In October 2001, a consensus meeting identified focus areas in HIV/AIDS epidemiology, prevention, health services, and policy.

From 2003 to 2006, the California-Mexico Epidemiological Surveillance Pilot was implemented among Mexican migrants in California (n=1283) and in Mexico (n=2775).

In November 2004, the JAIDS special issue of HIV/AIDS Among Mexican Migrants and Recent Immigrants in California and Mexico [PDF] was published.

In August 2007, the CHRP began funding a prevention intervention among Mexican migrants in Fresno, California, based on a systems-change approach using non-healthcare agencies to refer migrants into HIV/STI healthcare.

Presentations and Publications

Related Resources and Initiatives

Prior Funding Opportunities