IMSS-Bienestar Expands Indigenous Health Outreach

IMSS Bienestar has launched a program to translate and distribute health guidelines in various Indigenous languages to improve health education in many communities. This initiative aligns with the Year of Indigenous Women and aims to enhance the well-being of children through preventive healthcare measures.

With more than 1 million people belonging to Indigenous communities, IMSS-Bienestar plans to provide translations of health guidelines in languages such as Náhuatl, Popoluca, Misanteco, Chinanteco, Totonaco, and Otomí, among others. The goal is to reach a broader population by ensuring accessibility to essential health information in native languages, reports IMSS-Bienestar. 

IMSS Bienestar’s initiative aligns with the broader Implementation Plan of the Healthcare Model for Well-Being. By prioritizing inclusion and intercultural approaches, the program seeks to reduce child morbidity and mortality rates in vulnerable communities. The program focuses on engaging children, parents, and caregivers with a set of 10 essential health actions, including daily hygiene practices, recognizing unusual physical symptoms, reporting persistent sadness, and promoting healthy eating habits. The guidelines also emphasize the importance of physical activity while limiting screen time.

IMSS-Bienestar has also developed an infographic on warning signs during pregnancy, following recommendations from the National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health. The objective is to help pregnant women and their families to recognize critical symptoms and seek medical care promptly, reducing the risk of complications.

Health units will carry out outreach efforts aimed at high-marginalization communities, focusing on prevention, risk identification, and health promotion. The strategy will target children aged six to just under 10 years of age, providing them with preventive health education to help shape their long-term well-being. Parents and caregivers will also receive health-related information in healthcare units and hospitals to ensure comprehensive healthcare access for populations without social security.