News

Easy access to regional health data

March 23, 2021

The characteristics and statistics of a specific region are vital information to improve a population’s health. Yet, access to this information can be difficult to locate and often time consuming. This can be especially true when looking for health information of three states and two countries – Paso del Norte region.

The Healthy Paso del Norte website (www.healthypasodelnorte.org) brings non-biased data, local resources and a wealth of information to one accessible location. This user-friendly website is intended to help community members and policy makers learn about the health of the region in the counties of Doña Ana, Luna, and Otero in New Mexico, and El Paso and Hudspeth in Texas and Ciudad, Juárez, MX.

Community groups, schools, health associations, economic development entities, chambers of commerce, tourism and many other organizations can use this information to inform decisions, share knowledge, or collaborate on health-related projects all geared towards the improvement of health in the community and region.

Examples of information available on the web site:

- 15.3% of adults in El Paso County have diabetes, higher than the State value.

- 73.5% of adults engage in physical activity In Doña Ana County, which is less than the State value (75.2%).

- 24.4% of people in Ciudad Juárez are without access to health services, which is higher than the state value.

The website is also a great resource to access funding opportunities, promising practice programs, and current health events within the region.

“I consult this website in anticipation of any meetings or working groups regarding health issues in the region,” said an anonymous website user.

Public health practitioners, planners, and other audiences can benefit by comparing health and quality of life indicators with other counties, the state, and the nation. For instance, when planning a program, the website helps tracking progress, and comparing county health indicators to Healthy People 2030 targets, measure socioeconomic needs correlated with poor health outcomes using the SocioNeeds Index, among other features that the website offers. Resident living in the region can also find access to demographics broken down by County, zip code, sex, ethnicity, age, and population in the area from a specific origin. The Healthy Paso del Norte website is sponsored by the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and has a variety of resources available in one location. Next time you are looking for regional health information, visit www.healthypasodelnorte.org.

For more information, contact Jana Renner, Program Officer, Paso del Norte Health Foundation at jrenner@pdnfoundation.org or 915-218-2616.