Jobs brought by manufacturing attract peoplefrom all over Mexico. The economy of this area is based on the maquiladora factories. Most maquila plants assemble materials brought from the U.S., taking advantage of the lower wages in Mexico. The finished product can then be shipped back to the U.S. or to other countries. Approximately 1,500 of these plants employ nearly 500,000 people.
Public health is a major problem on the Mexican side of the border as well.
Inadequate sewage facilities, pollution, and lack of medical services make this side of the border vulnerable to diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis, and dysentery. Frequent traffic between the U. S. and Mexico allows any health problem to quickly spread from one side to the other.