If you’re looking for affordable health-care services, the 37th annual 9Health Fair in March offers a viable option, said a nurse practitioner who has volunteered every year of the program.

The 9Health Fair will run from 7 a.m. to noon March 19 at Escalante Middle School in Durango.

For nearly four decades, the health fair has offered affordable options on a range of screenings, including blood, breast and colon cancer, diabetes, lung function, memory, prostate health, skin, sleep apnea, stress, and vision and eye health, among others.

“It’s a very good value for the price,” said Karen Zink, a nurse practitioner and medical coordinator of 9Health Fair.

Accessibility to these services was the driver for creating a health fair, which was championed by National Health Screening Council for Volunteer Organizations, 9News, as well as hundreds of medical and non-medical volunteers.

The services are for anyone who shows up, Zink said.

“It’s to help people take charge and responsibility for their own health,” she said. “The slogan is, ‘Own Your Health.’”

Zink said the fair heavily focuses on education. And with 30 percent of the people in the world having a body mass index (BMI) of over 30, now is the time to inform people about proper nutrition.

“In the U.S., we have been fabulous at propagating a poor nutritional diet, so we’re getting diseases like crazy now,” Zink said. “All kinds of health problems come from eating a poor quality diet.”

The fair averages about 1,000 participants every year, but it has been as high as 1,600 and as low as 600 in past years, Zink said. She estimated that $250,000 of tests and screenings are conducted in Durango.

9Health Fair relies on a 150 person all-volunteer staff to make the day happen.

jromeo@durangoherald.com