PUBLIC HEALTH IN MEXICO

AT-A-GLANCE

DURATION: 14 days

IDEAL FOR: University groups

PRICE: Starting at US$2,680 / person

All Human Connections itineraries can be adjusted to accommodate different budgets, trip lengths, themes, etc.

Pricing as of Aug 2022 and subject to change.

Overview

Bring classroom learning to life through conversations with Mexican health care providers, NGO leaders, and local community members willing to share their personal experiences with public health interventions. Topics include:

  • Public and private healthcare options

  • Disease prevention and vaccines

  • Reproductive health

  • Nutrition, water access, and natural products

  • Discrimination in healthcare

  • Policy and programs for inclusion

  • The role of family, community, and cultural beliefs in public health

What’s Included

ACCOMMODATION: Mid-range hotel (double occupancy)

MEALS: All breakfasts, 9 group lunches, and 5 group dinners.

TRANSPORTATION: All transportation once in Mexico, including airport pick-up/drop-off.

EXCURSIONS: One of three excursion options (depending on season and availability)

EXPERT FACILITATION: Our guides translate conversations between English and Spanish

FAIR PAYMENTS AND LOCAL IMPACT: Please read more about our Responsible Tourism Guarantee

Sample Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Settling In

  • You'll be met by our team at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR) and receive group transportation to your accommodation.

  • Receive an on-site orientation focused on local health and safety norms so the group is prepared to fully enjoy the trip.

  • Wrap up day one with a special group welcome dinner.

Day 2: Tiers of the Mexican Healthcare System

  • Visit the home of Don Moises and Doña Zenaida, hammock makers from the Nahua indigenous community in Guerrero, Mexico. Learn about their experiences accessing healthcare both in their home community and in the Riviera Nayarit.

  • Head to the public clinic, Centro de Salud, for a conversation about the services offered, which include non-emergency medical attention, vaccine distribution, disease prevention, and reproductive health.

  • Visit a private hospital and meet with a doctor who has experience in both the public and private sectors. Learn about the tiers of healthcare that exist in Mexico, the role of insurance, and the relationship between wealth and quality of care.

Day 3: Community Organizations and Education

  • Meet with Eli, a community organizer and mother of five, for a candid chat about the Mexican education system, barriers to its effectiveness, and its implications on public health and wellbeing.

  • Head to San Pancho for a tour of Entreamigos, a community center that has been transformative for the village. Take a tour of the massive space and learn about their philosophy of education as the cornerstone of community development.

  • Visit the public hospital in San Pancho for a conversation with its management. Learn about what services they offer and how the hospital views the work of community organizations like Entreamigos in supporting public health.

Day 4: Accessibility of Clean Water and Healthy Foods

  • Visit a water filtration plant to learn about access to clean water, including how it is produced and distributed.

  • Head inland to the agricultural community of San Juan de Abajo to visit Rancho Las Parotas, a traditional countryside restaurant. Make and enjoy a delicious farm-to-table lunch while discussing with the owners, Segis and Yadira, about the accessibility of healthy food.

  • Visit a food and vegetable market to learn about the supply chain. Explore the role of tienditas, or corner stores, in communities with limited resources and their influence on public health.

Day 5: Nutrition

  • Meet with a local certified nutritionist to gain insights into the biggest nutritional challenges facing the local community.

  • Enjoy a home-cooked meal with Nallely and her family, who have worked in the Mexican restaurant sector for generations.

  • Visit Adela, an entrepreneur who launched a tropical fruit and flower business. Walk through her orchards to pick your own passion fruits or mangos. Then, sit down with her large family for an honest conversation about whether a healthy diet is (or is not) culturally considered a priority.

Day 6: Free Day

  • Spend the day relaxing on our beautiful beaches and exploring the bustling markets in Bucerías.

  • Looking for more adventure? Take a day trip to one of the top tourist destinations located less than an hour away, including Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita!

Day 7: Economic Opportunities & Entrepreneurship

  • Meet with Gilari and Shamar, entrepreneurs in their early twenties who leveraged their family’s beekeeping hobby to found a thriving business making and selling edible and medicinal honey products.

  • Visit Mari Chuy’s house to help her prepare - and then enjoy! - a traditional Mexican meal.

  • Meet with Luz, a mother of three, an entrepreneur, and a community organizer. Learn about the role of access to capital in community development.

Day 8: Indigeneity & Migration within Mexico

  • Visit the home and workshop of Andrés, a woodcarver from the Nahua indigenous community, to learn his story of migration and explore differences in access to healthcare in indigenous versus nonindigenous communities.

  • Meet Rolando, a Zapotec carpet weaver whose family migrated from Oaxaca to Nayarit to grow their business. How has healthcare honored and/or dismissed his cultural beliefs?

  • Visit Leonarda, an artist from the Wixárika inidigenous group, to further explore the complicated relationship between a person’s economic situation, cultural identity, health, and likelihood of migration.

Day 9: Inclusion

  • Visit the local CAM school, a K-12 school for differently abled students, for a conversation with their leadership.

  • Meet with Jesús, a community organizer working to create more inclusive spaces and the important role of advocacy in access to health education and services.

  • Visit SETAC, a community center providing specialized services to the LGBTQ+ population, including HIV prevention and testing.

Day 10: Family Support Systems

  • Spend the morning in the workshop of Francisco, a local ceramist. While watching him work magic behind the pottery wheel, get a sense of how his family business and close knit family dynamic influence each member’s quality of life and access to resources.

  • Tour the local DIF branch, the National System for Integral Family Development, to learn about the extensive services offered.

  • Have a conversation with a psychologist experienced in public healthcare facilities, including the DIF, and who also runs a private practice.

Day 11: Maternal Health

  • Visit Teresa, her daughter, and new grandson in their home. Discuss the options available to and realities faced by many women entering motherhood.

  • Head to the home of the large and gregarious Tzotzil family, the Lopez Lopez family. Hear about how the family splits their time between Bucerías and Chiapas and their opinions about healthcare in both regions. How has their cultural identity influenced their birthing experiences?

  • Visit the IMSS, a hospital system available to workers with social security, to meet with a doctor who shares his insights about standard maternity healthcare practices in Mexico.

Day 12: ¡Vamos! Excursion Day

  • Option 1: Make your own chocolate at Planeta Cacao, then head out for a beach day.

  • Option 2: Embark on a jungle hike on the coastline south of Puerto Vallarta.

  • Option 3: Sailing and snorkeling trip in the Bay of Banderas.

Day 13: Free Day and Farewell Dinner

  • Last chance for souvenir shopping or a visit to the Bucerías beach.

  • Enjoy a special beachside Farewell Dinner.

Day 14: Departure Day

  • Brunch and time to share final trip reflections.

  • We will see your group off with group transportation back to the Puerto Vallarta (PVR) airport.