EDINBURG, Texas – The diabetes epidemic in the Rio Grande Valley is more severe than official public health statistics indicate—and the trend is still moving in the wrong direction, according to Moises Arjona Jr., chief executive officer of Unidos Contra La Diabetes.
Speaking at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance just as his organization opened its fourth annual Unidos en Salud conference, Arjona challenged the widely cited benchmark that three in 10 Valley residents live with diabetes.Based on community screenings and local data gathered by Unidos Contra La Diabetes (UCD) and its partners, Arjona estimates the true prevalence is closer to four in 10—with the remaining six in 10 residents either pre-diabetic or living with undiagnosed diabetes.
"The trend right now is going up," Arjona told the Rio Grande Guardian. "The stats say every three in 10. I’m saying every four in 10 have diabetes. The other six either are pre-diabetic or don’t know they’re diabetic. So we need to make sure that they’re getting tested."
Arjona explained that official figures undercount the true scope of the crisis because many Rio Grande Valley residents who undergo initial community health screenings never follow up with a primary care physician, leaving their diagnoses unrecorded in formal clinical reporting systems.
To bridge that gap, UCD conducts its own community risk assessments and works directly with local health departments to build a clearer regional picture. According to Arjona, recent data compiled for UCD by the Hidalgo County Health and Human Services Department and Cameron County Public Health underscores the urgency of early intervention, showing high rates of preventable emergency hospital visits tied to severe blood sugar spikes and drops—hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
Achieving an accurate accounting of the Valley’s diabetes burden, Arjona added, requires shared accountability across the entire healthcare ecosystem.
"I think it’s all of our job together: the health systems, the private practices, and of course the nonprofits as well," Arjona said, praising the ongoing data-collection efforts of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across South Texas. "If we had all the data from the Rio Grande Valley, we would probably have a true picture of what some of the issues are."
Now in its fourth year, Unidos en Salud has steadily outgrown its earlier venues. After previously partnering with South Texas College to host the gathering at STC’s Mid-Valley Campus in Weslaco, UCD moved the event to the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance to accommodate expanding attendance and exhibitor demand.
Despite operating on a lean budget, UCD draws hundreds of healthcare professionals, promotores (community health workers), educators, students, and advocates by relying on a "collective impact" model. Rather than shoulder the event alone, UCD mobilizes regional institutions and corporate sponsors to pool resources, expertise, and outreach.
Arjona credited key sponsors and municipal partners for making the conference possible, including Genentech, Dexcom—which supplied continuous glucose monitors—the City of Pharr Public Health Department, the City of Pharr International Bridge, and the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, which helped provide meals for attendees.
He also highlighted UCD’s collaboration with Mario Reyna, coordinator of the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force,who attended the conference.
"We are part of the Prosperity Task Force, and part of that is for us to continue to work together to build on what we already have, creating that foundation for people to continue to grow our mission and keep a healthier Rio Grande Valley," Arjona said.
This year’s agenda was designed to equip attendees with practical, up-to-date tools across the full spectrum of diabetes prevention and care, including the role of GLP-1 medications, pediatric insulin management, and the link between diabetes and cardiovascular health.
Among the sessions Arjona highlighted were presentations featuring researchers and clinicians from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), including Dr. Pamela Lopez; a dedicated discussion on cardiovascular disease; and a spotlight on Dr. Dona Cooper-Dockery, whose comprehensive wellness model in the Valley integrates a medical practice,a healthy restaurant, a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME), and youth-focused health initiatives.
For residents and healthcare workers unable to attend in person, Arjona noted that the full conference agenda and recordings of most presentations are being made available online at UCDRGV.org.
While the numbers point to a worsening public health challenge, Arjona emphasized that Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable through consistent, everyday habits and community support.
"We’re all in this together," Arjona said in a direct message to Valley families. "This is a health journey, and we can all stay healthy. Simple exercises, eating healthier—we’ve got this. We can prevent Type 2 diabetes in our community."
