COFEPRIS Deploys Health Brigades After Floods in Five States

The Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), in coordination with the Federal Sanitary System, has launched a nationwide response to address the health impacts of recent floods in Veracruz, Hidalgo, Queretaro, Puebla, and San Luis Potosi. The initiative focuses on basic sanitation, hygienic handling of water and food, and sanitary surveillance.

COFEPRIS activated its Emergency Sanitary Attention Program, deploying six specialized brigades to the affected states. In addition, over 1,500 federal sanitary personnel are mobilized across the country to assist local efforts. The COFEPRIS brigades have disinfected over 1.6 million L of water, delivered 2,340 bottles of colloidal silver, and conducted 459 water quality tests in public supply systems. They have also carried out 250 sanitary risk assessments, 1,211 hygiene and basic sanitation workshops reaching 8,902 participants, distributed 133 kilograms of calcium hypochlorite, and provided 1,310 educational materials.

On-site efforts also include sanitary inspections at temporary shelters and medical units and the destruction of spoiled food and unsafe medications. These operations are coordinated with the General Directorate of Epidemiology (DGE) and the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CENAPRECE) as part of a comprehensive health response under the Ministry of Health.

Authorities say that these actions aim to prevent waterborne and foodborne diseases and reduce public health risks resulting from the floods.

To strengthen the response and ensure care for communities isolated or located in difficult-to-reach areas, an interinstitutional operation has also been deployed. The initiative brings together medical, vaccination, epidemiological, and vector control brigades supported by personnel from the Ministry of Health, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), IMSS Bienestar, and the Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE), reports MBN.

There are a total of 471 vaccination active brigades: 280 from the Ministry of Health, 100 from IMSS, 41 from IMSS Bienestar, and 50 from ISSSTE. Each team includes a doctor, a nurse, and a health promoter, with plans to expand the number to more than 1,000 brigades in the coming days.

In addition, the Ministry of Health has deployed vector control teams in the most affected states to prevent mosquito-borne disease outbreaks, particularly dengue. These include 35 brigades in San Luis Potosi, 30 in Queretaro, 12 in Puebla, and 63 in Veracruz.