Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116514

Ramona Felix, Organization en California de Lideres Campesinas, 611 Rebecca Street, Pomona, CA 91766, 909.865.7776, liderescampesinas@hotmail.com

This presentation will highlight the health risks to the migrant workers working in California fields and the unique and disproportionate environmental and public health impact on migrant latina farmworkers. As many of these women are monolingual, they have trouble accessing even the smallest bit of information as to their health and labor rights. These migrant women workers face a variety of public health risks, from exposure to pesticides and defoliants in the field that result in birth defects and other adverse health effects to victims of domestic violence. A number of public health impacts to migrant farmworkers go unreported because of lack of healthcare services and, in many cases, migrant workers risking their lives to return to their country of origin to seek medical care.

The work of the Organizacion en California de Lideres Campesinas includes organizing women to take the lead in trainings and educating other women farmworkers. The trainings cover worker health and safety, reproductive health, domestic violence and youth leadership development with adolescent girls and young women.

Learning Objectives:

• To describe the unique environmental health and public health risks to migrant farmworkers in central California.
• The provide three examples of the public health interventions designed and implemented by this farmworker organization in collaboration with scientists and public health professionals.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.