Title: Effects of free trade policy on the US-Mexico border health service

Authors: Rifat Afrin; Gayle Prybutok

Addresses: Department of Rehabilitation and Health Services, College of Health and Public Service, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76201, USA ' Department of Rehabilitation and Health Services, College of Health and Public Service, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76201, USA

Abstract: This paper focuses on the free trade agreement's impact on the health sector in the US-Mexico border area. The health services at the border face uneven development because of this agreement. The paper applies an interdisciplinary approach to find the root of this health problem that has been going on for decades. For this purpose, news stories, scholarly papers, and archival documents from several organizations are analysed. Although the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has brought a health sector boom, it is limited to metropolitan cities along the border on the US side. The people from low-income communities and colonias (slum areas) still suffer from a health crisis. This paper reminds us of the significance of ensuring health for everyone and contributes to the ongoing literature about uneven development and economic integration.

Keywords: US-Mexico borderland; uneven development theory; NAFTA; North American Free Trade Agreement; public health; interdisciplinary approach.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2023.135457

International Journal of Environment and Health, 2023 Vol.11 No.1, pp.54 - 70

Accepted: 13 Sep 2023
Published online: 13 Dec 2023 *

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