Office of Binational Border Health

Binational Communication

Technical Workgroup

The Office of Binational Border Health (OBBH) is an active member of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Technical Workgroup (BTWG). BTWG partners include representatives from the local, state and federal levels in the U.S. and Mexico. The overall purpose of this group is to foster continued communication and enhanced situational awareness among key state and federal level public health partners as it relates to infectious diseases. The BTWG meets on a monthly basis.

Disease Notifications and Outbreaks

In response to the International Health Regulations and in an effort to operationalize the concepts set forth in the Technical Guidelines for United States-Mexico Coordination of Public Health Events of Mutual Interest (PDF), the BTWG developed the “Operational Protocol for U.S.-Mexico Binational Communication and Coordination on Disease Notifications and Outbreaks” (PDF). The protocol aims to provide guidance for implementing communication and follow up of binational cases, as well as identification and collaboration for a binational outbreak when mutually deemed appropriate.

Infectious Disease Tabletop Exercise

The OBBH, in conjunction with members of the BTWG, assisted with the planning of the Binational U.S.-Mexico Infectious Disease Tabletop Exercise which took place on January 26–27, 2017. The objectives were to exercise the existing U.S.-Mexico Binational Communication Pathway Protocol, as well as enhance situational awareness on surveillance, control, and response activities in the U.S. and Mexico as it relates to Zika.

The objectives of the tabletop were as follow:

Exercise the existing Operational Protocol for U.S.-Mexico Binational Communication and Coordination on Disease Notifications and Outbreaks.

Define events leading to binational communications.
Characterize communication, coordination and collaboration between counterparts as it relates to binational cases.
Characterize communication, coordination and collaboration between counterparts as it relates to binational outbreaks.
Outline protocol for conducting binational outbreak investigations.
Characterize post-outbreak wrap-up and follow-up.