Office of Binational Border Health

Infectious Disease Epidemiology

The Office of Binational Border Health (OBBH) focuses on enhancing detection and response capabilities to infectious disease incidents and threats in the border region. The OBBH plays a critical role in fostering binational partnerships, and strengthening surveillance and communication capabilities in the border region. The office works in collaboration with a variety of state and federal partners in the border region Flu Graph from Weekly Influenza Like Illness Report

Flu Graph from Weekly Influenza Like Illness Report

from the U.S. and Mexico. More specifically, the program focuses on surveillance and monitoring of infectious disease in the border region, working with border health partners to develop and maintain routine and emergency communication protocols, facilitating cross-border exchange of information, investigation of binational infectious disease cases and outbreaks. The office acts as the communication liaison between the California Department of Public Health and public health officials in Baja California on infectious disease matters of binational interest.

Focus Areas

Communication

The OBBH serves as the communication liaison between the State of California and Mexican Health Officials. The office maintains close communication with Mexican Health Officials to share information related to infectious disease matters of binational interest. It focuses on planning and convening meetings between infectious diseases epidemiologist from the U.S. and Mexico on a frequent basis, to foster and enhance binational communication. The office plays a key role in developing and maintaining routine and emergency communication protocols, and facilitating cross-border exchange of information.

Recent Accomplishments

The OBBH collaborated with other state and federal partners from the U.S. and Mexico in the development of the recent U.S.-Mexico Binational Communication Protocol (PDF).
The OBBH convened a Binational Infectious Disease Tabletop Exercise on January 2017.
The OBBH serves as source of information to the general public, as we face different infectious disease threats.
The OBBH created a one hour Zika Educational Webinar for Promotoras in Spanish – El Virus del Zika Webinar para la Comunidad de Habla Hispana.
The OBBH assisted with developing the material for the “No Traiga el Zika a Casa” media campaign.
The OBBH convened the 2024 Approaches to Infectious Disease Surveillance in the Border Region meeting with representatives from federal, state, and local levels of public health in the United States on July 16–17, 2024.

Surveillance and Investigations

The OBBH monitors and investigates key infectious diseases and outbreaks of border or binational public health significance. The office works closely with partners at the local, state and federal level in the U.S. and Mexico to respond to infectious disease threats.