SEDESA Introduces Health Campaign for Public Markets

To support economic development and healthcare, the Ministry of Economy Development (SEDECO) and the Ministry of Health of Mexico City (SEDESA) are carrying out "Health Days for Public Markets" to increase awareness of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

These Health Days, part of the National Days of Public Health (JNSP), aim to bring health services closer to the population through promotion, prevention and education activities, according to SEDESA. These campaigns will provide primary care to different population groups, especially those in vulnerable situations, to help improve their quality of life. Due to the importance of markets to Mexico’s economy, the campaign is being supported by SEDECO.

In Mexico City, mobile medical units will provide nutrition guidance and education on physical activity. Care will be provided by health professionals from first-level care units and the outpatient, preventive medicine and epidemiology areas of hospitals. The campaign will prioritize vaccination schemes and diagnosis of the most common chronic diseases in Mexico: obesity and overweight, hypertension, diabetes and breast and prostate cancer.

Public markets bring multiple economic and social benefits and play a key role in the economic reactivation through the production and sale of food and the provision of services, explained the Economic and Social Council of Mexico City. Markets generate jobs and enhance social capital, as well as social cohesion among merchants and consumers. Additionally, they are sites that keep a long history, so they are essential spaces for cultural strengthening and local identity.

During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, these centers were a major concern for SEDESA, especially Mexico City’s largest market, Central de Abastos, which saw a mass outbreak in 2020. Minister of Health Oliva López explained that because of their crowded nature, a special approach was necessary for public markets to avoid mass contagion and other health issues.