Xóchitl Castañeda wins Mexican National Award of Health

Xóchitl Castañeda, director of the Health Initiative of the Americas at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health has been awarded the Mexican National Award of Health for 2020 in the category of “Sin Fronteras” (No Borders) for her lifetime of work to improve the health of Mexicans living outside Mexico. She is the co-recipient of the award in this category with Xavier Becerra, current US Secretary of Health and Human Services.

“I received this award on behalf of the Health Initiative of the Americas’s (HIA) team,” said Castañeda. “The recognition is for the work we have done for over 20 years to improve the health of the Latino population, especially the Mexican immigrants living and working in the United States. This population contributes enormously to the wellbeing of both countries, and many times, their health is not guaranteed due to the type of work they perform, as well as their documentation status. Today more than ever, we need to include every person in the healthcare system. The health of a country is also the health of its immigrants.”

Read more about the award at the Premio Nacional de Salud website.