The Covid-19 pandemic has not gone away, however, the health authority is optimistic, because from their perspective, the rate of reduction of Covid-19 infections has been decreasing in Mexico in the last five weeks, over all in six entities.
According to the Ministry of Health (SSa), for 11 weeks, we have had a period of reduction in the transmission of the virus. However, in the most recent five weeks the reduction has occurred at a slower rate than it had in the first six weeks of the year.
As for the hospital occupancy of general beds for Covid-19 care, the health authority remarked, this stands at 5%, while beds with mechanical ventilators are barely 1 percent. Deaths from this disease are also going down.
Also, the SSa mentioned that people infected with Covid-19, who meet the medical criteria, can receive Paxlovid treatment in health sector units. But this medication cannot be self-prescribed, but rather must be taken under medical supervision. In addition, it is only available in public sector units for all people.
Obesity, the other great epidemic
Within the framework of World Obesity Day, which has just been commemorated, the federal government should launch a comprehensive campaign to combat this other epidemic. Let us remember that obesity causes a torrent of diseases that have the health sector on the brink of collapse, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, among others.
Also, let’s remember that this type of disease, such as diabetes, gradually damages various organs, such as the liver and kidney, which causes other terrible conditions, such as the one we talked about the previous time, chronic kidney disease (CKD).
For this reason, in the face of the overweight and obesity pandemic in Mexico, a comprehensive public health policy is necessary, which also contemplates the training of first-contact doctors, so that they not only detect potential risks, but can act to prevent them. prevent them and stop their advance.
We are also talking about the excessive consumption of soft drinks that we have in the country and the few fruits and vegetables that we consume as a society, for which we would also have to act accordingly.
In short, we are doing everything wrong and, as the popular saying would say, “nobody does anything”.
The devastation of a pharaonic work
In theory, the idea was to make a large injection of resources in the Mexican southeast, in order to create and carry out this great tourism infrastructure project, which would seek to connect various areas of the Mayan area through a 1,525 km rail network. However, this mega-work has generated great controversy, including legal, especially due to the environmental and cultural implications that its construction is having.
One of the main environmental problems that has been pointed out in relation to the Mayan Train is the impact it is having on the jungle. The construction of the infrastructure has required the felling of trees and the opening of roads in forested areas. And despite the fact that the president promised that not a single tree would be felled, during the last count, of Political Animalthere were already more than 3.4 million shot down.
According to environmental forecasts, the Mayan Train project is affecting more than 140 species of animals, some of them in danger of extinction, such as the jaguar, the spider monkey, the howler monkey and the scarlet macaw. Risks have also been identified for the biodiversity of the area, particularly for the coral reefs found on the coast of Quintana Roo.
On the other hand, the Mayan Train has also raised concerns regarding the cultural heritage of the region. As we know, the area in which this pharaonic work takes place is rich in archaeological remains and Mayan ruins, which are being affected by the construction of the train. Many of these ruins are of invaluable historical and cultural importance, many of which have yet to be explored.
In addition, it has also been warned that the construction of the train could generate greater tourist pressure in the area, which could affect local communities and their cultural heritage. But the work is being erected despite the fact that many indigenous peoples have publicly opposed the project. Given this, the government has tried to modify this with the promise for these communities to obtain certain benefits, or outright, with the veiled or explicit threat if they continue to oppose it.
Many of these indigenous communities depend on the natural resources of the region for their subsistence, and therefore fear that the construction of the Mayan Train could affect their ability to obtain food and water.
The administration of the 4T has ensured that the Mayan Train will be built, however it takes place, in a sustainable manner and that measures will be taken to mitigate environmental and cultural impacts. However, some experts have warned that the project could have long-term negative consequences for the region. Thus, it is important that the development of the Mayan Train continue to be monitored and that the concerns and suggestions of experts and local communities be taken into account, even if the president does not like it.
The construction of the Mayan Train, despite the injunctions won to prevent its construction -let’s remember the phrase that López Obrador said “don’t get away with saying that the law is the law”-, endangers many of these archaeological sites and historical monuments . Excavation and construction is damaging the structures and vestiges found at the sites; furthermore, the construction of infrastructure could affect the ability of archaeologists to study and preserve these sites.
So let’s not wait for this 4T government to be judged by history, because by then it will be too late. It is essential to guarantee the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of the area, for which it is necessary to establish adequate measures to mitigate the environmental and cultural impacts of the project, before the Selva Maya, together with all its natural and archaeological wonders, remain only in a beautiful memory.
Stethoscope
- Congratulations to VALID, a validation and training firm for the pharmaceutical industry, and its CEO, Fausto Hernández Montiel, for its 10th anniversary and for obtaining its ISO-9001 certificate.
- And what does the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) do regarding the construction of the Mayan Train? Accompanying Manuel, only accompanying…
