05.02.09
Over 250,000 migrant farmworkers come to the state of North Carolina each year. They come largely from Mexico and Central America.
Approximately 3% come from Mexico on H2A visas through the North Carolina Growers Association. As the sponsors, NCGA knows where the worker is working and where the worker is living. Since the onset of new H1N1 (swine flu) NCGA has provided minimal medical screening, information about H1N1 for the workers and the growers and follows the workers for arising health issues.
The remaining 97% come from a variety of countries through Crew Chiefs who act as agents.
Several state agencies “touch” these workers mostly through the crew chiefs but also through the growers:
Department of Agriculture
Department of Labor
Employment Security Commission
Cooperative Extensions
The American Consulate in Mexico is closed for visa services until May 15, 2009.
WORKING PLAN
Members of the Incident Command Team are communicating and coordinating with North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Office of Rural Health and Community Care Programs (NC DHHS).
These groups will provide outreach to growers, community health centers, Local Health Departments and other state agencies. The outreach will include culturally compatible health information in multiple languages and resources for health care.
Members of the Incident Command Team are also are distributing antiviral medications from the SNS that will be available for treating people. These medications are made available to Local Health Departments, especially for those that do not have the resources to fill prescriptions at pharmacies.
Materials regarding evaluation and management of potentially infected people are being pushed out to community health centers and other providers.
We have also been informed that the Migrant Clinician Network has opened its doors to anyone who is ill with influenza-like illness for evaluation and testing
