EDINBURG, Texas — Regional health care professionals, community health workers, advocates, and civic leaders will convene in Edinburg next month as Unidos Contra La Diabetes hosts its 2026 regional conference aimed at strengthening diabetes prevention and education across the Rio Grande Valley.
Titled “Unidos En Salud: Bridging Hearts and Health for Diabetes Awareness,” the conference is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 12, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Edinburg Conference Center at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance. The daylong event serves as a focal point for Diabetes Awareness Month in November, offering attendees continuing medical education (CME) and continuing education unit (CEU) credits.
Hidalgo County Precinct 2 Commissioner Eduardo “Eddie” Cantu will deliver the keynote address as part of a full lineup of presenters and clinical experts.
Designed for healthcare professionals, promotoras, educators, nonprofit leaders, students, and community advocates, the gathering focuses on cross-sector collaboration to bolster regional public health efforts. Additional conference details and registration information are available at UCDRGV.org.
In a change from previous years, Unidos Contra La Diabetes (UCD) is uncoupling its traditional community health fair from the main conference, hosting it as a dedicated, standalone event earlier in the week.
The annual Community Health Fair will take place Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at South Texas College’s Mid-Valley Campus in Weslaco.
The health fair will provide free community health screenings delivered by UCD’s collaborative partners, alongside a fresh fruit and vegetable distribution organized by the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. The morning event will also feature a live remote broadcast with Ruben Vela.
The November initiatives arrive as public health stakeholders work to address elevated diabetes rates throughout South Texas.
According to UCD data, three in 10 Rio Grande Valley residents live with type 2 diabetes, with many unaware they have the condition or are at risk. Regional health leaders also report an increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes among children, teens, and young adults—a disease historically diagnosed primarily in adults age 45 and older.
The local statistics mirror broader state and global public health trends:
UCD’s Diabetes Awareness Month events are backed by a broad coalition of healthcare systems, municipalities, educational institutions, and regional nonprofits.
Collaborative partners supporting the 2026 events include Genentech – A Member of the Roche Group, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, South Texas Health System - Clinics, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, South Texas College, City of Pharr Public Health Department, Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Driscoll Health Plan, Dexcom, and the RGV Vascular & Vein Institute.
