This page of the Cuba Solidarity Web Site is devoted to providing news on developments in Cuba's uniquely resourceful health care system.
Perhaps the most important lesson that can come from studying public health in Cuba is the level of creativity, innovation and success that can be brought to bear to the benefit of a population's health through a simple but fundamental decision to make healthcare one of the highest priorities of a society and an economy.
The news daily pointed out that the reduced infant mortality rate is the result of the selfless and hard work of the island's health professionals.
Tuesday's Granma daily also says that during 1999, 104 more infants were saved than the previous year -- adding that for the first time in history, all of the island's provinces registered less than eight. Villa Clara heads the island's provinces with less than five for every one thousand live births.
Only 20 countries have an infant mortality rate lower than Cuba's, where
infant and children's mortality figures as well as the maternal death rate
were also reduced during 1999.
The students were on-board a Cubana airliner that crashed on December 21st while attempting to land at Guatemala City's International Airport. Eighteen of the more than 300 passengers on that ill-fated flight were killed, including the Cuban pilot and flight crew. While the actual cause of the crash is still being investigated, the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer were praised for having taken steps to shut down the plane's turbines and fuel supply just seconds before the fatal crash -- thus saving hundreds of lives.
Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage welcomed the Guatemalan students at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport in the name of President Fidel Castro. Speaking on behalf of the medical students, a representative of the Guatemalan students, Carlos Flores, said that they are proud of Cuba's educational project -- granting them scholarships to study free-of-charge.
Also present at the ceremony were Cuba's Foreign Minister Felipe Perez
Roque and Health Minister Carlos Dotres. The Cuban health minister praised
the Guatemalan students, calling them "an inspiration for all of Latin
America."
Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Benjamin Ortiz and Cuba's ambassador to that South American country, Rene Castro, made the announcement in Quito during a meeting at the foreign ministry.
The Cuban diplomat said that the Ecuadorian people greatly appreciate Havana's gesture of solidarity. He announced that in the coming days, a Cuban medical brigade will arrive in that South American country to train area residents of the Amazon region in first aid and primary medicine.
The Cuban ambassador to Ecuador stated that areas of cooperation with
that country also include sports, education and culture -- adding that
bilateral cooperation is expected to increase in the year 2000.
Cuba gives free medical studies to 1,913 students from 18 countries
in the region at the new Latin American School for Medical Sciences in
Havana. Dotres admitted the country still had shortages of medicines, largely
due to the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba, but he said the situation
was improving slowly.
Panamanian Health Minister Jose Manuel Teran -- currently visiting the island -- explained that other projects to be carried out by Panama in the year 2000 deal with the fight against AIDS and a vaccination program as well as reforms to the nation's primary health care system.
The top Panamanian health official's agenda on the island includes meetings
with his Cuban counterpart, Dr. Carlos Dotres, and other high-ranking Cuban
government officials as well as visits to various Cuban medical institutions.
The program also includes visits to mental health clinics in the Havana municipality of Regla and natural and traditional medicine centers, the 10th of October Hospital and a Homeopathy Pharmacy.
The U.S. medical delegation, headed by Dr. Hunter Patch Adams, is also interested in learning about the professional level of the island's health services and the use of traditional and natural medicine in Cuba.
The ambulance includes an electrocardiogram machine and oxygen supplies along with other medical equipment for emergency services in Santa Clara which has a population of over 250,000 inhabitants.
ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF CUBA WILL DONATE 70 KILOGRAMS OF MEDICINES TO HAVANA'S CARDIOVASCULAR HOSPITAL
Havana, December 8(RHC)-- The President and founder of the Association of Friends of Cuba, Mario Ramseier, will donate 70 kilograms of medicines to Havana's Cardiovascular Hospital.
Ramseier heads the Austrian institution which, thanks to the support of Swiss, Italian, Canadians and other citizens in solidarity with Cuba have helped with the refurbishing of the ontological wards of the Juan Manuel Marquez Pediatric Hospital in the Cuban capital.
The Cuban Health Ministry is currently refurbishing the William Soler Pediatric Hospital Ward, which also receives financial support from the Austrian embassy in Havana.
Last November 30th, the Association of Friends of Cuba -- in coordination with the island's Health Ministry -- held an activity at the Juan Manuel Marquez Hospital with the participation of some of the island's outstanding athletes including Javier Sotomayor, Ivan Pedroso and Luis Mariano Delis.
The President of the Association of Friends of Cuba says that his institution
strongly condemns Washington's blockade against the island.
MEMBERS OF THE CONFEDERATION OF CUBAN WORKERS DONATED OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO HEALTH PROGRAM LAST MONTH
Havana, December 7(RHC)-- Members of the Confederation of Cuban Workers in Havana donated over one million dollars of their tips to the National Health Program during the month of November.
During an activity on Monday at Havana's Hotel Nacional, 21 workers and 23 work centers were recognized for their efforts to help finance cancer research.
Since this solidarity effort began, workers from the city of Havana
have collected over four million dollars, earmarked for the fight against
cancer, as well as the mother-child program and the fight against cancer.
INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON WORKERS HEALTH UNDERWAY IN HAVANA
Havana, December 6(RHC)-- The Second International Encounter on Workers Health opened its doors in Havana on Monday. The event -- held every two years -- will focus this year on social security, professional and occupational diseases, reasons leading to early retirement and environmental risks, among other issues.
The Institute for Workers Health, created in 1977, is the event's main sponsor. The institute is headed by Dr. Emigdio Leon.
The Second International Encounter on Workers Health winds up on Friday, December 10th, and is being attended by delegates from 16 countries.
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON PLANT GENETIC ENGINEERING UNDERWAY IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL
Havana, December 6(RHC)-- Some 200 specialists from 45 countries are taking part in an International Symposium on Plant Genetic Engineering, underway at Havana's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
During the opening ceremony on Monday, Dr. Mac Fon Montagu from Belgium received an Honorary Doctorate granted by the University of Havana.
The international symposium on plant genetic engineering is dedicated
to this outstanding scientist and is scheduled to wind up on Friday.
CUBA CELEBRATES DAY OF LATIN AMERICAN MEDICINE
Havana, December 3(RHC)-- Cuba celebrated the Day of Latin American Medicine by announcing that the overall infant mortality rate for the island has dropped to below seven per 1000 live births. This puts Cuba once more on a par with the most developed nations of the world.
The figure for Havana -- which previously had the worst record on the island at 9.2 last year, has dropped to 6.7. The 1998 average on the island was 7.2. It is expected to be approximately 6.2 by the end of the year.
The reduced level of infant mortality is due to the very extensive pre and post-natal care that the Cuban health care system follows. Women experiencing pre-natal problems such as possible risky pregnancies or premature births are housed in special care units that operate as community homes where the women are monitored 24-hours-a-day until they give birth.
The Cuban health care system is the envy of the Third World and, if
not for the shortage of medicines due mostly to the U.S. blockade of the
island, would be on the same level as most industrialized nations.
CUBAN DOCTORS RETURN TO HAVANA FROM HAITI
Havana, December 2(RHC)-- The first contingent of Cuban doctors who worked in Haiti for 11 months is back home. The group -- made up of 71 doctors, nurses and technical personnel -- arrived in Santiago de Cuba on Wednesday.
The Cuban health personnel treated poor residents in areas severely damaged by Hurricane Georges, which hit that Caribbean nation last year. Thanks to a cooperation agreement, Cuban doctors and nurses are working in several countries around the region, including Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
The Cuban government established the Latin American School of Medicine,
where Central American and Caribbean students are studying free-of-charge.
After they graduate, the doctors will return to their respective countries.
CUBA HAS RECORD LOW GROWTH IN HIV/AIDS
Havana, December 2(RHC)-- Fourteen years after creating the island's
AIDS Control and Prevention Program, Cuba has a very slow growth in the
number of people affected by the epidemic. According to Cuban Health Minister
Carlos Dotres, the work done in epidemiological control, integral care,
research and education has contributed to this result.
Doctor Dotres said, however, that more could be done in the areas of epidemiological control and care provided to people affected by the HIV virus. The Cuban health minister pointed out that worldwide, the AIDS epidemic has claimed the lives of 16 million people and that two - Thirds of those affected by the HIV virus live in Africa. Since 1986, more than 2800 Cubans have been infected with the virus and nearly 900 of them have developed full-blown AIDS. Some 650 have died.
Carlos Dotres emphasized that Cuba is the only Third World nation which
has been working on an AIDS vaccine since 1992. Due to the work carried
out by Cuban health authorities, the United Nations will continue supporting
research on the island.
PANAMANIAN PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL VISITS THE CUBAN CAPITAL
Havana, December 1(RHC)-- The President of the Panamanian Legislative Assembly, Enrique Garrido, is in Havana to attend the Fourth Bilateral Interparliamentary meeting, set for December 2nd and 3rd. Garrido's agenda includes a review of bilateral relations, which he described as "excellent."
During his stay on the island, Garrido and his accompanying delegation
will be meeting with top government officials and will visit the Latin
American School of Medicine and the Carlos J. Finlay Institute which mainly
works in the production of vaccines. The Finlay Institute has successfully
developed vaccines against Hepatitis B and meningitis among others.
BIOTECHNOLOGY '99 UNDERWAY IN HAVANA
Havana, November 30(RHC)-- Biotechnology '99 is underway at Havana's
Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. Over 1100 delegates,
representing 41 countries and international institutions, are participating
in Biotechnology '99 -- an annual scientific event that focuses this year
on the medical applications of biotechnology.
Through master conferences, plenary sessions, symposiums and workshops,
participants will deal with issues such as vaccines, new immunization strategies,
dengue and AIDS, new diagnostic technologies, the development of new drugs,
recombinant antibiotics and therapies for cancer and self-immuned diseases
through antibiotics.
A commercial exhibition has also been scheduled as part of Biotechnology
'99, in which over 30 companies are representing nations such as Britain,
Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and Cuba, among others.
Biotechnology '99 winds up on Friday, December 3rd -- Day of Latin American
Medicine.
NEW CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADE ARRIVES IN HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa, November 30(RHC)-- Another Cuban medical brigade arrived
in Honduras on Monday as part of a health cooperation program offered by
Cuba to that Central American nation.
The new medical team, made up of 39 doctors, nurses and other health specialists, will offer their services free-of-charge in remote areas of Honduras.
On September 30th, a Cuban medical team made up of 107 health specialists
returned to Havana from Honduras, after working in Honduras for 11 months.
During that period, the Cuban doctors treated 800,000 people, performed
9000 surgical operations and helped deliver 577 babies in remote, mountainous
areas of the country.
Philanthrophy Journal On Line
11/29/1999
http://pnnonline.org/technology/cuba1129.cfm
By John T. Moore
Santa Clara, Calif.
With the collapse of Communist governments across Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, Cuba's commerce also faltered. While the country's economy was being redesigned, resources previously allocated to Cuba's public health system began to disappear.
Through frequent visits to Cuba, David Wald and Juan Reardon had grown impressed with the health system and wanted to do anything they could to support the needs of hospitals and clinics on the island nation.
That was the goal of Wald and Reardon's nonprofit,USA/Cuba InfoMed, which delivers computers to the country's medical society.
USA/Cuba InfoMed was established in 1995 in response to the InfoMed program launched by Cuba's Ministry of Health in 1992. Cuba's InfoMed was designed to link all of the country's hospitals, clinics, medical school, medical libraries and research centers through an electronic network.
The Cuban network provides information the medical community needs to sustain Cuba's health system. Although the backbone of Cuba's InfoMed is in place, there were no computers available to link each facility. No money is being spent on the computers, especially in a time when antibiotics were in short supply, says Reardon.
That's where the Santa Clara, Calif.-based USA/Cuba InfoMed helps. Hundreds of volunteers, most from California, have collected, fixed, packed and shipped computers to Cuba. The volunteers also have been raising funds to ship the equipment. So far 1,400 computers have been sent.
Without full access to the information these computers can supply, Reardon says that medicine in Cuba becomes guesswork instead of science. Cuba's pledge of health care for all citizens "demands access to medical information."
The computers allow direct access by physicians, medical students, researchers and family doctors to major medical databases in Cuba and around the world. From those databases, doctors can learn where to get medical supplies, scarce medications and special medical services, Reardon says.
The technology allows the medical community to keep in touch via e-mails that can spread meeting notices and public health alerts.
With about 70,000 medical professionals, USA/Cuba InfoMed estimates that the Cuban medical community needs 10,000 computers. But those computers don't just help the medical community.
"The knowledge and know-how emerging from the introduction of these new technologies in Cuba is reflected also in other areas of Cuban society and it extends also to other countries of the Caribbean and the world," Reardon says.
Raising money to ship the equipment presents a particular challenge for USA/Cuba InfoMed. Reardon says that Cuba remains an area of uncertainty for potential donors. The "ignorance" that exists about Cuba, however, is changing.
"We could do a lot better if we had a fraction of the funds that an organization like ours should really have," says Wald.
Cuba's Minister of Health estimated that USA/Cuba InfoMed has a budget of $150,000 per year, when its budget is really only $15,000.
Lending to the public's uncertainty about Cuba is the 38-year-old embargo the U.S. government has placed on Cuba. That blockade makes the nonprofit's task costly, difficult and more of a harassment, Reardon says.
It is that reason that makes it cumbersome for USA/Cuba InfoMed to get a license from the U.S. government to supply materials for a "good will" mission. Finding a ship to carry the computers is also difficult, since any vessel traveling to Cuba cannot dock at any U.S. harbor for six months afterwards, Reardon says.
This means the computers are sent in a cargo container to Montreal, where a Cuban shipping company picks it up and sends it to the island.
Wald says ending the Cuban embargo of is one of the primary focuses of USA/Cuba InfoMed's work. The U.S. Secretary of Commerce recently approved the nonprofit's license to supply Pentium computers to Cuba. Previously, only 486-chip computers were allowed.
Wald credits the members of Congress who wrote letters urging the Secretary of Commerce to allow USA/Cuba InfoMed to send the computers to the country.
Another unique part of the most recent license is that for the first
time, the group is able to send their aid directly to the Cuban government,
rather than just to an agency. Since there's no such thing as private medicine
in Cuba, if the nonprofit couldn't send the equipment to the government,
then their help "wouldn't work."
John T. Moore can be reached at
johntm@mindspring.com
CUBA GOES GREEN
Government-Run Vegetable Gardens Sprout in Cities Across Island
By Serge F. Kovaleski
Washington Post Foreign Service Friday, November 26, 1999; Page A29
HAVANA-The concrete sprawl of Havana seemed an incongruous setting for Consuelo Torres to be clutching a clump of organically grown and freshly picked spinach. But she had just been shopping at one of the many state-run urban vegetable gardens developed in vacant lots here in the capital and in other cities and towns across Cuba. The gardens are part of a new effort by the socialist government to ease food shortages and nutritional problems that have beset the nation since the collapse of its patron, the Soviet Union, in 1991.
"Being able to buy more vegetables is a health issue. Now we can take in more of the vitamins our bodies need and give a little more balance to our diets," Torres, 50, said on a recent afternoon while standing on Havana's busy Fifth Avenue in front of a plot of crops in what used to be a garbage dump. "There is still not enough food to go around, but the gardens certainly help the situation."
Torres is not the only one keen on the idea. This Caribbean island has what is believed to be the most extensive urban agriculture program in Latin America, with more than 2,730 government operated gardens checkering the country's 169 municipalities. They employ about 22,000 workers and sell two dozen varieties of vegetables and herbs directly to consumers at prices as much as half that of market levels.
On a recent afternoon at an urban garden in the shadows of Revolution Square in Havana, Juana Vega, 55, was relishing the idea that she had just bought carrots, eggplant and garlic for her family with relative ease. "Having these gardens set up in the city is a form of creative help," she said. "It is creative on the part of the government, which I feel is trying to find ways to solve Cuba's problems and improve our lives where they can."
During an official visit here last week, Venezuela's populist president, Hugo Chavez, discussed the gardens with President Fidel Castro. He said he is considering a similar strategy to make food staples more available and provide another source of employment in metropolitan areas in a country where an estimated 80 percent of the population lives in poverty.
In addition to the urban plots, the Cuban program has given rise to 4,347 larger and more intensive gardens, generally located on the outskirts of cities and towns and producing fruit in addition to vegetables and herbs.
This country of 11.5 million people has been forced to pursue unconventional food production since the former Soviet Union stopped its annual largess of billions of dollars a decade ago. The donations from Moscow included bountiful amounts of agricultural products and farming supplies, such as fertilizer, pesticides, animal feed, seeds and fuel. The vegetables grown in urban gardens are for the most part organic,largely due to the dearth of chemical crop treatments. While playing up the health benefits of organic produce, the Castro government casts much of the blame for food scarcities on a 37-year- old economic embargo maintained by the United States. But the problem also stems from inefficiency and a lack of individual incentives within the state-dominated agricultural system.
In contributing to the slightly improved food situation, the urban gardens--called agroponicos or organoponicos--have been able to circumvent many of the logistical hurdles and other problems that afflict agriculture in the countryside. There is no need to transport vegetables grown on these municipal plots because people buy them on the spot. That eliminates virtually all the cumbersome state bureaucracy that usually stands between farmers and consumers.
"This means fewer post-harvest losses because no transportation or storage is involved and there is less handling of vegetables," said Fernando Robayo, the representative in Cuba for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.
On weekends in Havana, long lines spill onto the sidewalks in front of urban gardens, where customers wait to buy vegetables that are fresher and apparently more bountiful than in state markets, which on any given morning can run out of produce in a matter of hours. The urban gardens, which are equipped with relatively modern irrigation systems that help generate high yields, have been one of the most successful of a series of government initiatives to decentralize agricultural production from large state farms to municipal and individual levels.
Many state enterprises, schools and hospitals grow some of their own food and raise livestock, while the government has helped thousands of families and individuals to set up home gardens, plant fruit trees and raise chickens and rabbits.
Some neighborhoods produce up to 30 percent of their food. More than 540,000 tons of food were produced for consumption by Havana residents last year. Furthermore, recent planning laws have made the use of land for food production a priority, although there are many needy areas where urban gardens have yet to be established.
Overall, the government estimates that 117,000 people work in urban agriculture and that the gardens account for about half the vegetables grown in Cuba. Officials said urban gardens are expected to increase production by more than a third next year, reflecting a policy of linking wages to productivity.
"These gardens are important in a labor sense. They are not cooperatives and they are not completely state run in that we can pay workers a little more," explained Alvaro Garcia, who is in charge of an urban garden in the Miramar section of Havana. While improved yields from the gardens should allow much of the countryto meet the recommended daily allowance of 300 grams of vegetables per person in 2000, that will not be the case for Havana and Santiago de Cuba, the largest and second largest cities where 3.2 million inhabitants reside. The two metropolitan areas will have to rely on traditional sources of vegetables such as cooperatives and state farms.
Cuba, whose people continue to receive government rations four decades after Castro came to power in a revolution, has yet to recover from the dramatic decline in food availability of at least 60 percent that took place between 1991 and 1995. Carlos Lage, a vice president of the ruling Council of State, who has been in charge of efforts to resuscitate Cuba's depressed economy, recently told a meeting of municipal leaders that "the food situation is still insufficient . . . but there has been some progress."
(c) Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company
Westport, Connecticut-based PWN Exhibicon International L.L.C., has confirmed that the U.S.Medical/Healthcare Exhibition will be held in the city of Havana from Tuesday, 25 January 2000, to Saturday, 29 January 2000.
The U.S. Medical/healthcare Exhibition has been licensed by the Office
of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the
Treasury in Washington, D.C. Individuals authorized to participate in the
U.S. Medical/Healthcare Exhibition include executives and representatives
of United States-based companies and their subsidiaries that manufacture,
distribute, market, and retail, health care sector informational materials,
medical equipment, medical instruments, medical supplies, medicated products,
medicines, and pharmaceuticals. For information regarding participation,
sponsorship, and costs, please contact Mr. Peter W. Nathan at telephone
(203) 222-8660 or Facsimile telephone (203) 222-8335.
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR SURVEILLANCE'99 WINDS UP IN HAVANA
Havana, November 26(RHC)-- Surveillance '99, an international event sponsored by the Public Health Ministry and the Cuban Hygiene and Epidemeology Society, among other institutions, wound up Friday at Havana's Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute.
From November 22nd through the 26th, some 200 experts from 11 countries: Denmark, Spain, Cuba, Peru, Colombia and Argentina, among them, gathered at Havana's Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute for Surveillance '99, an international symposium on health surveillance.
Among the issues debated were: surveillance in primary health care, environmental health, information of experts in health surveillance and informatics on public health surveillance.
Surveillance '99 was organized with the purpose of updating health surveillance
concepts and providing the possibility for experts, mainly from Latin America,
to exchange their experiences in programs and work areas in this field.
We waited at InfoMed HQ from 9:30 until around 11:30, when the truck finally showed up. The fellow running the forklift took a little drive up and down these back streets near the Havana Libre to kill time waiting. The entire staff, many wearing InfoMed t-shirts ("En busqueda de un sueño") had lined the front patio, chatting and waiting expectantly. Eventually they all drifted off to their offices, and came running once the truck was parked out front.
InfoMed Director Pedro Urra posed at the container doors with members of the team, as everyone crowded around for a first look inside.
They broke the seal on the door, swung it open, and were greeted by sheets of plywood covered with slogans of solidarity and the signatures of the U.S. team. After still more photos, the sheets were lined up side-by-side on the sidewalk, against the concrete wall in front of InfoMed, where neighbours walking stopped to check out the colourful display.
As you might imagine, the street (partially blocked by the container) soon filled with interested people. One young woman, a Chicago student living in Costa Rica, stopped by to chat - it was the second day of her Cuban vacation, and she was delighted to learn that a project benefitting Cuba's health care system had support in the United States.
Everyone pitched in, carrying some boxes by hand, clearing the way for the forklift to begin moving material by the pallet-load. Eyes were wide at the sight of pallets full of shrink-wrapped computers and monitors. The atmosphere was festive, with a determination to get the material safely stowed away in the basement storage.
Tis was a treat for me, as it had been three-and-a-half years ince my last visit to the InfoMed building. So much has changed - the node has outgrown its closet, and now occupies what was the meeting room back in the Spring of '96. The ground floor boasts a public-access lab for local medical researchers and doctors. Out back, space is being cleared and a patio being developed to give staff and visitors a comfortable place to hang out and socialize. I was also given a preview of the soon-to-be-debuted new homepage for InfoMed, a redesign that cleans up the layout of an already impressive website.
----------------------------------------------------------
Mark Rushton
is in Cuba until mid-January, 2000, researching community networking initiatives
with a grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
A member of the Nova Scotia-Cuba Assoc. (http://www.nscuba.org)
----------------------------------------------------------
Canada: 5669 Inglis St. Apt. 5, Halifax, N.S., B3H 1K2, (902) 429-5547
In Cuba: Calle 25 #1167, e/ 8 y 10, Apto. 14. (537) 30-1490 Email: Mark@jcce.org.cu
(in Cuba) or Mark@chebucto.ns.ca (Canada)
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE USE OF LASER IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY BEGINS IN HAVANA
Havana, November 24(RHC)-- An International Convention on the use of laser in medicine and surgery began Wednesday at Havana's International Convention Center.
Sponsored by Havana's Surgical and Medical Research Center, the convention comprises the XIII Congress of the International Society on the use of Laser in Medicine and Surgery, as well as the 9th Ibero-American Congress and the Third Latin American Encounter in the field.
The event, which runs through Friday, gathers doctors, physicians and
dentists, as well as bio-engineers and other medical specialists from some
30 nations.
EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO CUBAN MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN SMALL NICARAGUAN TOWN Managua, November 18(RHC)-- Residents and local authorities of the Nicaraguan municipality of Pueblo Nuevo offered an emotional farewell to the Cuban medical personnel who offered their services free-of-charge in that region.
The Cuban medical brigade arrived in the municipality of Pueblo Nuevo, located in the Department of Esteli, just a few days after Hurricane Mitch hit the area last year.
During the farewell activity, local officials in Pueblo Nuevo praised the work of the Cuban doctors and awarded them with the "Remigio Casco Community Service Order." The mayor of Pueblo Nuevo said that there are no words to describe the importance of the Cuban medical personnel's solidarity with the Nicaraguan people.
He also thanked non-governmental organizations in Nicaragua like the Augusto Cesar Sandino Foundation, which have contributed funds and supplies to the Cuban doctors during their one year stay in the Central American country.
The head of the 4th Cuban medical brigade in Haiti, Jose Luis Manso, said that one million 500,000 Haitian children between the age of nine months and 5 years will be vaccinated against measles.
The vaccination campaign will end next December 17th and is sponsored
by the Pan American Health Organization, as well as the governments of
Haiti and Cuba.
November 3, 1999
CUBAN PRODUCT TO AVOID HANTA VIRUS IN BOLIVIA - LA PAZ.- A highly
effective Cuban Product, of low cost and risk, is being used in this capital
in a wide operation to exterminate rodents, as a preventive measure against
a Hanta virus outbreak. The product, a biodegradable poison called Bio
rat, is the weapon used by the La Paz Health Department, after proving
its efficiency in a previous anti-rat campaign. Bio rat, which does not
produce pollution and is not dangerous for men or animals, has a slow effect,
giving the rodents Salmonela. A retarded effect is necessary in order to
eliminate a colony, because if rats see one dying after eating something,
the others stop eating it.
By Rob Zaleski
Throughout their hectic but stimulating 21/2-week visit to Madison, Cuban pediatricians Odila Quiros Viqueira and Yamina Rivero Fernandez took great pains not to say anything that might offend anyone.
For instance, when asked their impressions of the U.S. health care system -- and the fact that there are 44 million Americans who don't have health insurance --the women diplomatically responded through an interpreter that, although "this is very unfortunate in a country so prosperous,'' they don't know enough about the circumstances to offer intelligent opinions.
They even tried to smile while drinking coffee provided by their various hosts -- although they both confided with laughter late last week that U.S. coffee is "the worst ever. Far too weak!''
But on the few occasions they were asked about the effects the 38-year-old U.S. economic embargo has had on their country, the women -- who returned to Cuba on Sunday -- were unable to contain their exasperation and anger.
Anything so immoral, so unjust, "is condemned to fail,'' said Fernandez, a robust woman of 34, who was married earlier this year.
"The models we've been able to create in spite of it -- not only in health, but in education and athletics -- have won the world's sympathy,'' she said. "And the embargo will soon be history.''
Added the 47-year-old Viqueira, "It's an outdated political action. Everyone knows that. It will disappear soon. It must disappear soon.''
The women practice in Camaguey, a thriving city of 290,000 in central Cuba, and their visit was sponsored by the Madison-Camaguey Sister Cities Association.
They said there's no question that the embargo has had an adverse effect on the Cuban economic structure.
But it has not brought the socialist regime of Fidel Castro to its knees, as originally intended -- and, in fact, has only strengthened the resolve of the Cuban people, they maintained.
And there's no better example, they said, than the Cuban health care system, which despite the obvious financial constraints -- which limits their access to high-tech medical equipment -- has developed into an international model.
Not only do all citizens receive complete medical care at neighborhood clinics scattered throughout the country, but all health care decisions are made by medical professionals -- not insurance companies or so-called bean counters, as is sometimes the case in the United States.
More impressive yet, there's one doctor for every 400 citizens in Cuba, compared to one for every 2,000 citizens in this country. What's more, there is a major hospital and a variety of specialty hospitals in each of Cuba's 14 provinces, they pointed out, and all neighborhood clinics have facilities strictly for pregnant women.
That helps explain why Cuba's infant mortality rate of 7.1 per 1,000 births -- compared to 17 per 1,000 births in the U.S. -- is among the lowest in the world, the women said. (In the Caribbean as a whole, the rate is 33 per 1,000 births.)
Viqueira noted that foreigners often ask, "How do Cuban physicians achieve so much with so little?'' The answer, she said, is really quite simple. "We are very organized,'' Viqueira said. She patted her heart and added, "And we work very, very hard.''
Even so, the embargo clearly has made life in Cuba more difficult, both women acknowledged.
To cite just one example, Viqueira said that Cuba in recent years has undertaken an ambitious campaign to inoculate the country's 11 million residents against the bacterial agent haemophilus influenza, which can cause mental retardation and blindness, and can be fatal to young children.
If the embargo weren't in effect, Cuba could have purchased the vaccine and syringes from the United States. (Miami, she said, is just a 90-minute flight from Havana.) Instead, it was forced to spend $2.5 million -- or five times what the supplies would have cost in the United States -- to have syringes shipped from China, and to purchase the vaccine from Italy.
The women, who also spent a week in Washington, D.C., and were introduced to President Clinton, agreed that there were three major highlights from their visit: learning about and viewing the high-tech equipment that's available to U.S. physicians; the genuine warmth and vitality of the Madison people; and the stunning beauty of Madison's isthmus.
"There are no lakes in Cuba,'' Viqueira noted. "Your city is unlike anything we have seen.''
Actually, there was a fourth highlight the women agreed with a burst of embarrassed laughter.
"The hot fudge sundaes at Michael's!'' Fernandez exclaimed.
(c) 1999 The Capital Times
The San Diego Union-Tribune
October 10, 1999, Sunday
S.D. eyes biotech alliances in Cuba; Island called eager for joint
medical research
David E. Graham
Peering past an economic embargo that has separated Cuba from the United States for almost four decades, some San Diego County business and academic leaders are trying to forge a special relationship with the Communist nation.
Their focus: biomedical research.
It might seem a surprising alliance at first, one with a Caribbean island more fabled for cigars, rum and revolutionary fervor.
But in exploratory conversations in Havana, the San Diegans discovered that their Cuban counterparts are eager to pursue alliances involving medical research and pharmaceutical development, which also are among the San Diego region's strengths.
Cuba, known for its attention to education and health care, now Markets medicines to Latin America and Europe, and Fidel Castro's government regards biotechnology products as another way to bolster the country's struggling economy.
Just this summer, the credibility of Cuba's biomedical industry was enhanced when British pharmaceutical giant SmithKline Beecham said it would market a Cuban vaccine for meningitis B, an inflammation of the brain.
Local companies could start building limited markets in Cuba now, experts say, because some sales and testing of pharmaceuticals and supplies are permitted by the embargo.
"Once the economic blockade finally ends, if San Diego businesses and universities are not at the head of the line developing working relationships, then we'll be at the back of the line," said Steven Loughrin-Sacco, who directs San Diego State University's international business program.
"Biotechnology is an obvious, natural potential alliance to start with," said Loughrin-Sacco, who helped organize the San Diego group that visited Havana in April.
But the relationship that some people here envision with the nation of 11 million should not end there, says Gonzalo Lopez, manager of the city of San Diego's office of international trade and technology.
If the American embargo on trade were rescinded, San Diego companies could assist with the island's growing tourism industry and supply telecommunications services, business services and environmental technologies, he said. Lopez attended the April meetings in Havana with Cuban university and government officials.
"We need to encourage representatives here so they can assess what the Cubans have," Lopez said.
After Castro
The overtures come as many American political and business leaders are arguing for more normalized relations with Cuba, at least as a way to influence developments there after Castro, now 73, leaves power.
While most forms of U.S. trade with Cuba are prohibited under the embargo that took effect in 1962, two years after Castro seized power, some are not.
Limited sales of medicines and health-care supplies and some testing and evaluating of American medical products are allowed, as long as a license is obtained from the U.S. Treasury Department.
Loughrin-Sacco and Lopez are consulting with biotech and other business leaders here and marshaling a return mission to Cuba planned for January, a trip that requires a Treasury license.
Experts in the biotechnology industry have been recruited for that trip to examine the Cuba operations in detail, said Stephen Dahms, an SDSU professor who directs the entire California State University system's biotechnology program.
Those experts hope to meet with researchers and tour facilities to learn what Cuba might have to offer. Possibilities include shared research, development of medicines and medical technologies, and marketing or even testing of American-made products within Cuba, he said.
Joe Panetta, the executive director of BioCom San Diego, the industry group representing this area's biotechnology companies, said the approach to Cuba is novel here but worthwhile.
"We know Cuba over the years has invested a large part of its capital resources in biotechnology and medical research," Panetta said. "It's definitely worth considering."
SDSU already has a formal tie in Cuba.
Loughrin-Sacco announced in May that SDSU and the University of Havana had agreed to exchange business students. That is scheduled to start in January.
"But that's just peanuts for the Cubans," Loughrin-Sacco said. "What they want from San Diego is exchanges in biotechnology."
Cuban tourism
Since the collapse in 1991 of the Soviet Union, which subsidized the Cuba economy, the Caribbean nation has relied increasingly on an expanding tourism industry to move beyond its mainstays of sugar and tobacco sales and mining. Biotechnology could emerge as another key pillar.
Even though Cuba has entered partnerships with European companies in recent years, splitting profits in tourism and other industries, Dahms noted that any overtures in biomedical research would be complicated by Cuba's "closed society," where decision-making is centralized and different from what American companies might be accustomed to.
Easing the trade embargo would also probably be necessary before a Robust commerce could flourish, he added.
U.S. Treasury Department officials say that no San Diego area Companies have a license to trade with Cuba. Even so, interest exists among potential San Diego partners.
Erkki Ruoslahti, director of the Burnham Institute, a biological research lab in La Jolla, praised Cuba's medical research.
"They've been able to develop some real biotechnology there, in spite of their problems," he said. "They actually had some successes, particularly in designing vaccines."
In addition to the meningitis B vaccine, Cuba also markets treatments for hepatitis B, and a drug to lower cholesterol, as well as diagnostics and materials used in research and pharmaceutical production. It has also developed a test for dengue fever, and sells an anti-rodent agent in Asia.
The Cubans also report developing an interferon and wound-healing compound, and conducting research into heart-disease treatments and an AIDS vaccine.
Sheldon Hendler, president of San Diego's Vyrex Corp., is upbeat about the Cuban work.
"I think the opportunities can be enormous because they have some very fine physician-scientists in Cuba," Hendler said. "I think it's one of the most loaded, important relationships in biology ever."
Hendler likened the situation there today to a forest, rich with new flowers and fruits, overlooked and forbidden. Go now, he said, "and you have it all for yourself."
Growing contacts
But Cuba may not be overlooked much longer. And that perception has added a sense of urgency to Loughrin-Sacco's efforts.
Even so, Philip Brenner, a Latin American scholar at American University, says small, incremental changes in U.S. policy toward Cuba this year are meaningful.
Cuba's Latin culture beneath the Communist veil has captured the imagination of growing numbers in recent years, and cultural exchanges among musicians, artists, scholars and athletic teams have proliferated.
U.S. congressmen and mayors have gone on fact-finding missions. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called for more normalized trade with Cuba.
Cuban biotechnology also is gaining attention.
The SmithKline Beecham deal for the meningitis drug not only lent credibility to the island's work but also required and received U.S. Treasury Department approval because the Belgian lab where the drug will be made is owned by an American company. It represented a rare American approval for the marketing of a Cuban drug.
The first American trade exhibition in Havana in almost four decades, one for health-care companies, has been approved for January. The organizer, Peter Nathan of PWN Exhibicion LLC, in Westport, Conn., said a San Diego company is among those scheduled to attend.
He would not name the company, or those from Irvine or Costa Mesa, until sometime closer to the event to defuse any possible political criticism.
A Del Mar resident who is president of a trade association that promotes interactions with Cuba says the time is ripe for overtures to Cuba.
"It's a logical market for San Diego," said William J. Hauf, president of the U.S. Association for International Business & Trade. "San Diego is familiar with dealing with international business and the carry-over into biotechnology fits well.
"It would make a lot of sense to be visiting and establishing relationships. " He said Cubans value personal relationship and familiarity in their business equations.
San Diego's distance from Cuba might even benefit the region's prospects in Cuba, said Richard Feinberg, a former National Security Council adviser to President Clinton on Latin affairs and now a professor at UCSD.
Even though Miami is an important gateway for Latin business and is close to Cuba, Cuban politics is a bitterly divisive issue there. "Here," Feinberg said, "politically, these openings would be a nonevent."
CUBAN HEALTH OFFICIALS TAKE ACTION AGAINST AEDES AEGYPTI MOSQUITO
Havana, October 29(RHC)-- Cuban health officials announced on Thursday that six measures are being promoted nationally to insure that dengue fever is a thing of the past. After dengue fever was deliberated introduced into the country by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in l981, a national program was set up to eradicate the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which is a carrier of the disease.
Currently, the insect has not reappeared in 139 of the country's 169 municipalities and, according to Cuban health authorities, today's low indices of infestation make it highly unlikely that an epidemic of dengue could break out. Experts also say that the rapid containment of a dengue epidemic in Santiago de Cuba in 1997 represents a success for Cuba's disease control program.
The passing of Hurricane Irene over Cuba this month prompted new measures against the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. A campaign is being mounted, promoting six actions for people to take against the mosquito, including keeping water tanks covered, making holes in cans before they are discarded and storing empty bottles upside down.
The first official day for the eradication of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito
has been set for Saturday, November 6th.
U.S. GOVERNOR GEORGE RYAN VISITS LATIN AMERICAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Havana, October 26(RHC)-- Illinois Governor George Ryan continued his
visit to Cuba today, with further criticism of his nation's economic blockade
against the island.
Accompanied by a large delegation of elected officials and health and
industry sector experts, the governor -- who is the first U.S. governor
to visit Cuba since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959 -- spoke with
reporters during a visit to the Latin American School of Medicine. He reiterated
his opposition to the blockade and added that he hoped there would be many
more delegations such as his to the island.
The U.S. governor said that his visit was one of friendship and goodwill.
He was visibly impressed with the school,which offers mostly Central American
students free medical training in an effort to improve health care in their
countries.
During his visit to the school, Governor Ryan was accompanied by Doctor
Carl Getto from the University of Illinois, who said his experience in
Cuba had been "incredible" and that the school constituted "a wonderful
credit for Cuba."
The delegation was accompanied on its visit to the Latin American School
of Medicine by Cuban Health Minister Carlos Dotres, who explained the system
of primary and preventive health care on the island.
NICARAGUAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HONORS WORK OF CUBAN HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Managua, October 26(RHC)-- The Nicaraguan National Assembly has issued
a resolution honoring the work of 85 doctors and 22 health professionals
who are offering their services to the victims of Hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua.
The Nicaraguan parliament issued a plaque and diploma of recognition
at the request of a group of lawmakers from the Cuba-Nicaragua Friendship
Committee, composed of legislators from nearly all of the country's political
parties.
Cuban doctors continue to treat victims of Hurricane Mitch in Central
America and the Caribbean, offering their services free-of-charge.
Cuba's integral health program for Central America is aimed at saving lives -- reducing infant mortality and preventing deaths from curable diseases.
HAVANA, October 24, 1999
HAVANA.- Some 20 letters of intent and sanitary cooperation projects were signed by the Cuban Ministry of Public Health and a dozen European and Latin American nongovernmental organizations (NGO's) The documents, which cover donations worth US$ 17.5 million, were signed during the II Multi-sector Conference of the Mobilization of Resources for Public Health and Sustainable Development. The NGO's include Medicuba Europe. DPTO.INFORMACION/MINREX"
HAVANA, OCTOBER 23TH OF 1999
HAVANA.- Merits achieved by Cuba in Health are based in the will to turn good ideas into reality, said Fidel Castro yesterday. In the closing of the VII International Conference of Health Basic Assistance (HBA), the statesman said that the health achievements made by the country were and are encouraged by urgent needs. "One valuable thing is to have demonstrated that with little we can do much", said Fidel Castro to more than one thousand delegates attending the meeting.
HAVANA.- U.S. deny Cuban access to medicines and food in spite of
the measures they wield to pretend a loosening of the blockade against
Cuba, reiterated Ricardo Alarcon. Cuban Parliament President said that
Cuba is the only country to which a foreign power has decided to annihilate
as a nation. He noted that this was established with the Helms-Burton act,
compared to which, Platt amendment, that aborted Cuban independence, pales.
CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADE ON ITS WAY TO KOSOVO
Havana, October 22(RHC)-- A Cuban medical brigade is on its way to Yugoslavia to offer its services free-of-charge to victims of the U.S.-led NATO invasion.
Sources from the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in Havana that the medical aid was organized in coordination with United Nations agencies working in Yugoslavia and reiterated Cuba's willingness to send 1000 doctors to the war-torn regions of Kosovo.
HAVANA: SITE OF NUMEROUS INTERNATIONAL SEMINARS ON HEALTH
Havana, October 22(RHC)-- This has been a very busy and productive week for the Cuban capital in the field of health. During a series of meetings held this week in Havana, top Ibero-American health officials and professionals have had the opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss new strategies for the future.
One of the most important meetings held here in Havana this past week was the First Ibero-American Meeting of Health Ministers. There was also a special activity to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Cuban Health Ministry -- the first governmental-level health ministry created in the world. Havana was also the site of an international conference to mark the 75th anniversary of the Pan-American Health Code; the Second International Conference on Health and Sustainable Development, which wound up on Thursday; and the 7th International Seminar on Primary Health Care which winds up Friday night.
During the week, 21 projects and letters of intent worth 17.5 million dollars were signed in the field of health between the Cuban Health Ministry and 12 non-governmental organizations from Europe and Latin America.
HAVANA.- Approximately 20 Public Health Ministers and other Ibero American institutions' health officials are attending the first Health Ministers meeting in this region. Francisco Ventura, Portuguese Health Secretary, favored exchange among countries and highlighted that Cuba has many achievements to share. Gilberto Rodriguez, Venezuelan Minister said the purpose of the meetings on Monday and Tuesday is plan for the future for Ibero American countries.
CUBA AND HONDURAS SIGN BILATERAL ACCORD REGARDING CUBAN DOCTORS IN THAT CENTRAL AMERICAN NATION
Tegucigalpa, October 21(RHC)-- Cuba and Honduras have signed a bilateral accord regarding Cuban doctors in that Central American nation. The accord was signed Wednesday in Tegucigalpa by Honduran Foreign Minister Roberto Flores and Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Jorge Bolanos.
During his speech following the signing ceremony, the Honduran foreign minister stated that during the 11 months that Cuban health specialists provided assistance in his country in the wake of Hurricane Mitch, there were times when they placed their own health and lives in danger. He said their personal sacrifice -- which he called "a moral duty" -- has won the Cuban health professionals "a special place in the hearts of all Hondurans."
The bilateral agreement stipulates free-of-charge service for at least another year in the most-remote regions of Honduras. It also provides for post-graduate training of Honduran doctors by Cuban specialists in fields like urology, cardiology and epidemiology.
Although Cuba has offered its medical services free-of-charge, the Honduran government has unilaterally decided to provide the health specialists with room and board and a 100 dollar-a-month stipend. Flores also stated that the opposition of the Honduran Medical College to Cuban medical presence in the country will no longer be a problem, since the bilateral accord has been signed based on national interests.
As a result of that opposition, last September 30th more than 100 Cuban doctors returned home, but they were replaced by another 32 at the request of the Honduran government. In the coming days, another 121 doctors are expected to arrive in Honduras.
In his speech following the signing ceremony, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Jorge Bolanos pointed out that this is the first bilateral accord the two nations have signed in 50 years, following the reestablishment of diplomatic relations last year and the opening in the Honduran capital of a Cuban interests section.
While in Honduras, Cuban doctors provided assistance to 450,000 Hondurans. There are currently nearly 1200 Cuban health specialists in Central America, but Bolanos stated that Cuba is ready to send as many as 2000.
The Cuban deputy foreign minister also stated that Cuba is willing to
send as many as 1000 doctors to Kosovo. At the request of the United Nations,
11 Cuban health specialists traveled to Kosovo last Sunday, the 17th.
MEDI-CUBA EUROPE SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT WITH CUBA'S HEALTH MINISTRY
Havana, October 21(RHC)-- Medi-Cuba Europe, a non-governmental organization created in 1997, has signed a letter of intent with the Cuban Health Ministry to contribute to the development of Cuba's pharmaceutical industry.
The document foresees a half million dollars of aid for the year 2000, which will be devoted to the development of a plant to produce a key drug to treat cancer and the purchase of 24 types of raw materials to produce other medicines.
Laura Gonzalez, President of Medi-Cuba Europe, told Radio Havana Cuba
that the project has a different concept of aid. She said it is a long-term
project that is aimed primarily at breaking the U.S. blockade against Cuba.
It is also hoped that the aid will make it possible for Cuba to produce
85 percent of the medicine needed on the island.
CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO SAYS MEDICAL COOPERATION TO THIRD WORLD COULD QUADRUPLE
Havana, October 20(RHC)-- Cuban medical cooperation to Third World countries could quadruple, stated Cuban President Fidel Castro during the First Ibero-American Health Ministers Meeting which wound up Tuesday night in the Cuban capital.
At the end of the meeting, the Cuban official reiterated the island's willingness to expand its health cooperation, which already includes over 1300 health workers offering their services free-of-charge in Central America and the Caribbean.
During an exchange with Ibero-American health ministers and representatives, the Cuban leader said that for every three doctors on the island, one could be sent abroad to treat patients in other countries. Even with one-third of its doctors serving in other parts of the world, Cuba would still lead the list of countries with more doctors per inhabitant.
Referring to Havana's Latin American School of Medicine, which will be officially inaugurated during the 9th Ibero-American Summit in November, the leader of the Cuban Revolution said that in the next three years, as many as 7000 students from the region will be studying at the school.
Created to help train health professionals from countries affected by Hurricane Mitch, scholarships to Havana's School of Medicine have been extended to students of other Latin American countries as well.
6th LATIN AMERICAN CONGRESS ON NEURO-PSYCHOLOGY UNDERWAY IN VARADERO
Varadero, October 20(RHC)-- The 6th Latin American Congress on Neuro-Psychology is underway in Varadero with the participation of 70 delegates from 26 countries.
Outstanding research experts are meeting at the Plaza America Convention Center to analyze recent scientific and technical advances in the study of mental health.
Cuban professionals attending the Congress will debate issues and present
scientific works aimed at contributing to the exchange of experiences among
the participants.
CUBAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS IBERO-AMERICAN HEALTH MINISTER'S MEETING
Havana, October 19(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro participated in the Ibero-American Health Minister's Meeting that got underway on Monday in the Cuban capital.
During the two-day meeting, delegates discussed the effects of globalization in the health sector, cooperation among Ibero-American nations and strategies to guarantee health for all in the third millenium.
Tuesday evening, the Ibero-American health ministers and representatives approved a final declaration, which will be submitted to the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, slated for next month in Havana.
LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STUDENT ORGANIZATION SLATED TO MEET IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL
Havana, October 19(RHC)-- The 12th Congress of the Latin American and Caribbean Continental Organization of Students--OCLAE-- will take place in Havana in April next year.
According to the organization's president, Yosvany Diaz, the main goal of the event is to strengthen the unity of the Latin American students' movement and to design a common strategy to fight neo- liberalism.
Some 5000 students from the region, including 1000 Cubans and 300 young people from the Latin American School of Medicine, are expected to attend the meeting. They will exchange experiences and debate issues such as neo-liberalism and its negative effects on education, the role of students in Latin America and the regional integration process.
The event will also be attended by representatives of regional, national
and international institutions, as well as by non-governmental organizations
and other groups.
FIRST MEETING OF IBERO-AMERICAN HEALTH MINISTERS UNDERWAY IN HAVANA
Havana, October 18(RHC)-- The First Meeting of Ibero-American Health Ministers was officially opened Monday morning by Cuba's Health Minister Carlos Dotres. The gathering is taking place behind closed doors at Havana's Convention Center and is one of many ministerial meetings scheduled prior to the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, slated for November 15th and 16th here in the Cuban capital.
Health ministers and deputy ministers from 17 countries and representatives of 13 international organizations are attending meeting. Monday's agenda included debates on three important themes: the effects of globalization on reforms of the health sector; cooperation in the health sector within the Ibero-American context; and primary health care as a priority to improve health care in the new millenium.
INFANT MORTALITY RATE IN HAVANA REDUCED TO 7.7 PER ONE THOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS
Havana, October 18(RHC)-- The infant mortality rate in Havana is currently 7.7 for every 1000 live births, making it the lowest in the country's history, according to the Director of Havana's Public Health, Dr. Lorenzo Somarriba.
Emphasizing the priority of Cuba's mother-child program, Dr. Somarriba referred to the upcoming inauguration of maternal homes in the Cuban capital and on the refurbishing of the maternity ward at the Enrique Cabrera Hospital.
He also mentioned local action plans to clean up the capital, which began long before Hurricane Irene last week, and pointed to health measures to prevent disease and epidemics in the wake of the hurricane.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT CUBA
Havana, October 18(RHC)-- A group of European parliamentarians, currently visiting Havana, toured health centers that have received humanitarian aid from the European Union.
During a visit to the Centro-Habana Pediatric Hospital, the Vice President of the European Parliament's Development and Cooperation Commission, Fernando Fernandez, stated that it is necessary for European Union-member countries and Cuba to increase cooperation.
Cuba is the only Latin American country that does not enjoy a specific cooperation accord with the European Union and the aid that the island receives from the EU is characterized as humanitarian, mainly in the health sector.
QUITO.- Six Cuban presidents of Municipal People's Power Assemblies
(mayors), are in Ecuador for a technical cooperation project between both
countries on health and the environment. The project is part of
the Letter of Yaguajay, signed in Yaguajay,central Cuba in June, when six
Ecuadorian mayors visited Cuba. The program, sponsored by the Pan American
Health Organization, World Health Organization and the government of the
municipality of Yaguajay, promotes Latin American and Caribbean integration.
GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS ANNOUNCES VISIT TO CUBA Chicago, October 13(RHC)-- The Governor of the U.S. State of Illinois, Republican George Ryan, has confirmed he will visit Cuba beginning October 23rd.
Governor Ryan announced that his delegation will include local government officials, legislators and journalists. The governor of Illinois also stated that his accompanying delegation will donate nearly two million dollars in food, medicine and school supplies to the Cuban people.
According to Governor George Ryan, an advance group from Illinois visited Cuba several weeks ago and was able to get a first-hand look at the situation on the island. He told reporters that issues affecting the Cuban people are also important for the people of his Midwestern state of Illinois.
George Ryan, who became the governor of Illinois last February, could
become the first U.S. governor to visit Cuba since Washington imposed its
economic blockade against the island almost 40 years ago.
GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION.
October 1999. La Havana. Cuba
BY NICANOR LEON COTAYO
A very significant problem in the United States today is that tens of millions of people lack guaranteed access to medical care, which is getting worse because there are many children among the uninsured.
One of the two Democratic presidential candidates in the 2000 presidential elections, Albert Gore, said on September 7 that if he were to win, he would solve the tragedy of those children within five years.
In a Los Angeles hospital, Vice President Gore said that if elected president, he would make sure that by 2005 every child in the United States had completely accessible medical coverage.
AFP news agency reports that in the United States around 43 million U.S. citizens lack medical insurance, including 11 million children, and Gore is promising that, as president, one of his fundamental programs would be to change that situation for children.
An indication of what it's like to be a child without medical insurance in the United States was offered by the magazine U.S. News & World Report in an article published April 28, 1997, under the title, "Kids at Risk."
According to the article, due to a lack of guaranteed medical care, parents place limitations on their children, prohibiting them from visiting their friends' houses and climbing trees, as well as forbidding them to play in the rain or snow, playing football, rollerblading, or riding bikes.
Bill Clinton promised during his '92 campaign that he would guarantee medical access to all U.S. citizens, but subsequently the idea was filibustered in Congress by large pharmaceutical and insurance companies.
Last July 15, a project aimed at reforming the health care system was held up in Congress. It dealt with the rights of almost 160 million people whose care depends on private entities.
These powerful corporations refuse to pay, among other things, extended specialized medical care, prolonged hospital stays and even very expensive medicines.
According to the press, there are 600,000 doctors in the United States, half of whom are employed by the large private insurance companies which hire 80% of graduates, while only six percent are affiliated with a union.
Health care reform is a hot issue in Congress and sure to be a determining factor in the debates preceding the upcoming presidential election. Thus it deserves some commentary.
With more than 200 years of nationhood, the most powerful capitalist power in the world has not been able to solve a question as important as guaranteeing medical coverage to all of its citizens.
The significance of the problem can be measured when Vice President Gore promises that, if he wins the elections, in 2005 medical services will be offered to all U.S. children, something that, for example, Cuba achieved decades ago, despite the enduring U.S. blockade.
During the current administration, many Democrats and Republicans in Congress stymied Clinton's proposal of broadening government medical insurance in the United States. Why? Because, as the press widely reported. those whose interests were threatened by the pending legislation lobbied in Washington with copious amounts of money.
These same interests are again sabotaging the attempt to reform the country's health care system, which has become a thriving market of multimillion-dollar businesses whose executives are certainly heavy contributors to political campaigns.
To put the situation in perspective, the 11 million children in the United States lacking health coverage represent Cuba's entire population.
Meanwhile, on September 7, the television CBS and Viacom networks announced a merger valuing $80 billion USD, capable of creating, according to EFE, the world's largest mass media conglomerate.
How do you reconcile this with the fact that powerful politicians in Washington are telling millions of children to wait until 2005 to have the right to fall ill, while billion-dollar mergers continue to open the floodgates, allowing the sweet image of the U.S. lifestyle to spill out over the world?
The main drama in the United States lies in the fact that there is no adequate or practical answer for its deepest internal problems, or for the immense suffering majority of humanity."
GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION. La Havana. Cuba
October 11, 1999
DOCTOR RETURNS FROM WORK IN HONDURAS
Example for the world in the field of medicine
* Welcomed by Fidel
* Some 1600 Cuban doctors offering services in 60 nations throughout
world
* New collaboration program with Sub-Saharan Africa announced
* Cuba to support the creation of medical schools in those countries
On the tarmac of Havana's José Martí International Airport,President Fidel Castro welcomed the medical brigade that worked in Honduras and described their work there as one of the greatest examples for the world in the field of medicine.
Happy and very pleased, Fidel emphasized how this group of health care professionals and technicians were the first to arrive in Honduras, the poorest country in Central America and the most devastated by Hurricane Mitch, leaving the largest number of victims and of families who lost everything.
He emphasized the human sensitivity and nobility of these doctors, nurses and technicians, whose only, albeit great, award was the expressions of affection and gratitude from the hundreds of thousands of Hondurans they treated, which confirmed that such efforts are worth more than all the gold in the world.
He explained that the group's return to Cuba was pushed forward by the appearance of unjustified jealousies, and false and imaginary conflicts of interest in Honduras, which allowed a group of influential people from the Honduran Medical Association to establish the deadline of September 30 on the brigade's stay in the country.
Fidel clarified that the Cuban doctors were not in the capital or in the large cities, and their project was directed at inaccessible zones, which is a distinguishing characteristic of the Cuba's collaboration program in Central America and the Caribbean, and which is very well-received in all the countries where our nation offers its services.
He pointed out that many Honduran doctors and authorities in the country are thankful for the Cuban brigade's work, and added that the Caribbean island is prepared to analyze the renewal of collaboration in the health field.
An example of this attitude is the dispatch of a new emergency medical brigade requested to help with health problems caused by the strong floods in that nation during recent days. The brigade was sent with the greatest of urgency, and will remain there for as long as the local government considers appropriate.
PROGRAM FOR AFRICA
One by one, Fidel greeted all the members of the group that returned and said that currently there are more than 1600 Cuban doctors offering services in almost 60 nations. He announced that the socialist island in the Caribbean will establish a medical assistance program in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He indicated that the new program is part of Cuban medicine's spirit of solidarity and internationalism, and will be different in certain respects from those in Central America, because in Africa Cuba will promote the creation of medical schools, whose professors will be the Cuban doctors working in those countries.
He also spoke about the integral program of the training of health professionals in Cuba, which already has 2000 students from Latin America and the Caribbean. He predicted that by the first half of next year this number will be 3000.
He clarified that in addition to the Latin American Medical School, Cuba's other 20 medical schools will be included in the program, which in scarcely three years will be educating 6000 medical students.
In the late hours of the night, Fidel received the brigade in the headquarters of the Council of State and awarded diplomas of recognition for their dedication, perseverance, and unwavering resolution, to the members of this detachment who worked in Honduras for 11 months.
OCTOBER 09, 1999
HAVANA.- Nicaraguan newspaper El nuevo Diario considered the Latin
American School of Medicine, in Havana, as a tropical paradise of science
and medicine. The center comprises over 2000 students from 19 countries.
In a feature article, journalist Francisco Lopez - the paper's special
envoy - commented on the school's magnificent conditions and the high scientific
and human level of its teachers. There are 328 Nicaraguans from the poorest
families and the most distant places of this nation.
HAVANA (Reuters) - 9 Oct 1999
The Anglo-U.S. health care group SmithKline Beecham, which has a deal
to test and market a Cuban meningitis vaccine, plans to sell the drug in
Europe first but eventually take it to the United States, a director said.
``This is an agreement for global marketing rights,'' Baroness Gloria Hooper, a member of SmithKline Beecham's board of directors, told Reuters in an interview Friday night.
Hooper, a British Conservative Party politician, was part of a team of SmithKline Beecham executives here this week to discuss the pioneering accord agreed in July to market a vaccine against Group B meningococcal meningitis developed by Finlay Institute, a state medical research and production centers.
The group had dinner Thursday night with President Fidel Castro.
Under the terms of the deal, the London-based drug company will first conduct trials at its Belgian vaccine-testing laboratories.
Once the trials are complete, SmithKline Beecham will seek licensing for the vaccine in Europe with a view to starting sales within a few years, with Britain the first market, said Hooper.
The Anglo-U.S. group would apply its expertise in areas like refining, packaging and marketing the Cuban drug, which has already been used in Cuba and sold in Latin America.
Asked if the company also planned to sell the Cuban vaccine in the United States, she said: ``Eventually, yes.''
The agreement represented more than just a commercial breakthrough for Cuba's fledgling biotechnology industry, which has been struggling to sell its products in the developed world's regulated markets.
In a tactical shift in U.S. policy, the U.S. government is allowing the Cuban vaccine to be tested at the laboratories of SmithKline Beecham Biologicals.
Although the laboratories are in Rixensart, Belgium, the license was required because the Belgian vaccine center is owned by a U.S. subsidiary of the parent group. Washington's long-running economic embargo against Cuba prohibits trade transactions with the island by U.S. firms or citizens.
Hooper said she understood the U.S. government license was granted for ``humanitarian reasons''.
Asked if she feared a political backlash from right-wing Cuban exiles in the United States, she replied: ``We just want to get on with the business of producing good vaccines''.
The deal with the Finlay Institute involved what Hooper called ``a barter arrangement,'' in which SmithKline Beecham would initially pay the Cubans with food and medicines as the vaccine is registered in new markets. Cash royalties would start once sales began.
Hooper was accompanied on her visit to Cuba by Jean Stephenne, the president of SmithKline Beecham Biologicals in Belgium, and also by a scientist and a company legal expert.
Although recognized by many international experts as highly advanced by Third World standards, the Cuban biotechnology industry has found it difficult to get its products marketed in Europe and North America because of complex regulatory barriers.
Havana, October 8(RHC)-- Lower infant mortality rates due to the successful struggle against infectious diseases and the development of medicine to prevent childhood illnesses are the main achievements of the island's health care system, according to Cuban pediatrician, Dr. Juan Carlos Velazquez.
These were among the issues discussed during the International Congress on Infectious Childhood Diseases, currently being held at Havana's International Convention Center.
Dr. Juan Carlos Velazquez stressed that the production of vaccines, the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases and the island's mother-child program have achieved the reduction of Cuba's infant mortality rate to 7.1 for every one thousand live births.
Havana, October 6(RHC)-- Guatemalan Agriculture Minister Mariano Ventura -- who just wrapped up a visit to Cuba -- said he will study the island's advanced technologies which can be used in his country.
The Guatemalan official reported that BIORAT, the Cuban-made biological rat poison currently being used in agricultural areas in northern Guatemala, has had positive results. Mariano Ventura said he will analyze a number of other Cuban-manufactured products that could be beneficial for the Central American country.
Guatemala's agriculture minister was a member of the delegation led by President Alvaro Arzu, which just finished its visit to Cuba.
CUBA'S BIO-PHARMACEUTICAL LABORATORIES RECEIVE AWARD IN PERU
Lima, October 5(RHC)-- Cuba's Bio-Pharmaceutical Laboratories, LABIOFAM, has received an award for the development of a vaccine against a disease that attacks the immunization system of poultry. The award was presented by the Latin American Poultry Association in Lima, Peru.
In statements to reporters, the director of the institution, Jose Antonio Fraga Castro, said that the vaccine -- the first of its type in Latin America -- is the result of hard work by Cuban researchers and the Pedro Kouri Institute.
Present during the award ceremony was Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori
who expressed his satisfaction for the achievements of Cuba's Bio-Pharmaceutical
Laboratories.
(c) Copyright GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION. La Havana. Cuba
October 1999
Desertification, a dangerous legacy for the 21st century
A problem affecting 30% of the planet, from which Cuba is not exempt,
was examined during the 5th International Congress on Disasters
BY JOAQUIN ORAMAS
The Cauto basin, the largest in the country, was affected last year by an intense drought. THE marvelous tropical climate of the Cuban archipelago, where everything is green, does not exempt the country from the danger of desertification which affects 30% of the planet and which is visible in regions of some Cuban provinces. Here the problem is not as bad as in other countries, but requires, along with the official support being offered by UN agencies, a broad knowledge on the part of the population to improve the impact of the projects aimed at impeding soil degradation.
This theme was the focus of analysis during the 5th International Congress on Disasters, which took place in Havana, at which desertification and droughts and their consequences were discussed by experts in different fields.
Worldwide desertification affects one billion people in 100 countries, from Africa, to the open plains and pampas of the Americas, the steppes of Asia, the Australian desert and the banks of the Mediterranean Sea. Although that doesn't mean that in all those countries there are gigantic deserts, the following examples should be borne in mind: arid and semi-arid zones cover 75% of Argentina's territory, while in Burkina Faso around 22% of the land is arid, 70% is semi-arid and 8% is considered dry. Desertification is especially acute in Africa, where the land is predominantly desert or dry, and 73% of its arable land is already seriously or moderately degraded.
According to the UN, each year the planet loses 24 billion tons of topsoil, which costs the world $40 billion USD in crop losses.
One of the concerns of Cuban experts is the need to extend the knowledge of the problem to all parts of society, to work together to reduce the drought-related losses. In Cuba there are prolonged droughts and also arid regions, suffering from salinization and solidification. Because of this measures are being adopted to improve water supply and also to conserve this resource.
Drought is the main problem, but along with it there are the problems of the rising sea level and the marine intrusion in coastal basins, which under insular conditions can be particularly grave, warned expert Osvaldo Barros Mouriño of Cuba's Institute of Hydraulic Resources.
In the last 40 years, a large infrastructure has been created that currently includes 221 dams with reservoirs, storing nearly nine billion cubic meters of water. At the same time, a reforestation program is being developed in the country, which includes the planting a large quantity of timber-bearing species. Currently, 20% of the island's surface is covered with forests, compared to 14% in 1959. In mountain regions 400 million different varieties have been planted, but this doesn't solve the entire problem due to the lack of resources and the limitations aggravated by economic difficulties and the U.S. blockade, which has come under increasing opposition internationally and within that country.
Prestigious institutions have expressed it publicly, and representatives of Inter-American Dialogue, a group with headquarters in Washington, stated that the economic embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba has negative repercussions on the protection of endangered species that live on the island, and many species of animals that run the risk of extinction in the United States have established their permanent residence here. To this is added habitat alteration through deforestation and erosion in devastated regions due to prolonged droughts, which could be rectified if the country could received the necessary help. However, the official policy of the U.S. administration and the laws approved by the U.S. Congress block U.S. financial agencies from providing funds for establishing cooperative agreements in the sphere of environmental matters, a policy that extends to the World Bank and other international institutions.
This, along with desertification, droughts and other disasters, are
the legacy which will be inherited by the new millenium.
Editorial office: redac@granmai.get.cma.net
Business officeL: gi@granmai.get.cma.net"
INTERNATIONAL GERONTOLOGY CONGRESS WRAPS UP IN HAVANA
Havana, October 1(RHC)-- Today, October 1st, is the International Day of The Elderly and a number of activities were scheduled for Geronto-Vida 99. The international event on gerontology and geriatrics winds up tonight at Havana's International Convention Center.
The social integration of the elderly and the importance of improving The lives of older adults were among the issues on the agenda for Participants at Geronto-Vita 99.
The international event included the Third Congress of the Latin American Committee of the International Association of Gerontology and the Fourth National Congress on Gerontology and Geriatrics.
Scheduled for Friday night are a series of lectures and panel discussions on the issue of an aging world population. Pedro Ross Leal, the head of the Confederation of Cuban Workers, will lead a panel on the role of the unions in providing care for the elderly. And Cuban health authorities will discuss care for the elderly within the island's health care system.
HAVANA.- The aging of populations, preventive medicine and other themes related to the elderly were discussed at the second day of the Gerontovida'99 Convention, which has gathered almost 1,000 experts from 20 countries. Delegates from Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., Spain, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Cuba discussed different points related to the experiences of their respective countries in treating these people.
HAVANA.- Cuba will preside over the International Gerontology Association's Latin American Committee for the next four years, in acknowledgement of the work done by Cuba since 1984. At the Gerontovida '99 International Convention here, Professor Osvaldo Prieto, President of the Organizing Committee, explained that from 1989 when Cuba entered the International Gerontology Society, its work has been acknowledged by several countries."
CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO WELCOMES HOME DOCTORS WHO SERVED IN HONDURAS
Havana, September 30(RHC)-- Cuban President Fidel Castro welcomed home a group of 108 Cuban health professionals who offered their services in Honduras. The health professionals arrived from Honduras Thursday afternoon and the Cuban president personally thanked each one of them for a job well-done.
The Cuban leader explained that the island's medical mission in Honduras was intended to last for two years. But the return of the health professionals was moved up due to "unjustified, professional jealousy" and conflicts of interest raised by the Honduran Medical Association.
Fidel Castro stated that the Cuban health programs were not intended for the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, nor any other major cities of the Central American nation. He said that the island's health programs were designed for remote regions of Honduras where, in many cases, there had never been a doctor before. The Cuban leader said the doctors did not go to Honduras to compete with anyone, but were part of a humanitarian mission to assist a people in need.
Cuban President Fidel Castro emphasized that it was the Honduran Medical Association that placed a limit on the length of the Cuban doctors' stay in Honduras.
In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch in Central America late last year, Cuba offered 2000 health professionals to work in remote areas of the region, free-of-charge and for as long as necessary.
The Cuban president said that the greatest reward that the Cuban doctors can receive regarding their work in Honduras is the gratitude and appreciation of the Honduran people, who did not want them to leave.
Also on hand at the airport today to greet the returning medical professionals were other high-ranking Cuban government officials, along with all the students of Havana's Latin American School of Medicine.
During their 10-month stay in Honduras, the Cuban doctors visited 1300 villages and communities in the country's most remote areas and treated more than 800,000 Hondurans. The doctors performed more than 10,000 surgeries, more than half of which were major operations.
The Cuban health professionals also taught thousands of training courses and encountered three outbreaks of cholera in the Mosquitia region which were successfully controlled thanks to the quick and efficient work of the entire medical brigade.
Another Cuban medical brigade made up of 32 health specialists arrived in Honduras Thursday at the request of that country's government to cover the emergency needs caused by intense rains. The new medical brigade will stay in Honduras as long as the current emergency situation prevails.
The governments of Cuba and Honduras have both expressed their willingness to sign bilateral agreements soon, establishing cooperation in the field of health.
INFANT MORTALITY ON THE RISE IN LATIN AMERICA, WITH EXCEPTION OF CUBA
San Juan, September 29(RHC)-- As many as 500,000 children -- that's a half-million children under the age of five -- die each year in Latin America, many from curable diseases. According to a report issued by a special center for children's diseases, affiliated with the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), at least one out of every three deaths is caused by transmittable diseases or attributed to malnutrition.
The report, made public in Puerto Rico during a meeting of regional health ministers, reveals the staggering statistics: 150,000 Latin American children under the age of five die each year from diarrhea, malaria and respiratory infections -- all preventable with appropriate vaccinations. The PAHO report shows that seven out of 10 of those deaths are attributed to uncomplicated sicknesses such as measles, pneumonia and malnutrition. It goes on to demonstrate that the lack of proper medical care is the primary cause of infant mortality.
The Pan-American Health Organization report points out that the lack of education in basic health care also contributes to childhood illnesses. Many parents simply do not have the appropriate knowledge of how to prevent their children from contracting serious diseases. And poverty is the obvious culprit in making sure that health care facilities are out of the reach of most children in Latin America.
Throughout the region -- with the notable exception of Cuba -- good health is considered a privilege... for those who have the money to pay for it. In Cuba, health care is provided free-of-charge and is considered a human right -- provided to all -- with a particular emphasis on the young... the future of any society.
CUBA CHAIRS LATIN AMERICAN COMMITTEE OF THE INTERNATIONAL GERIATRICS ASSOCIATION
Havana, September 29(RHC)-- Cuba will chair the Latin American Committee of the International Geriatrics Association for the next four years, in recognition of the island's work with the elderly.
The announcement was made during the inauguration of the Geriatrics '99 International Convention, which got underway Tuesday in the Cuban capital with the participation of some one thousand delegates from 20 countries.
In statements to reporters, professor Osvaldo Prieto, the president of the event's organizing committee and director of the Ibero-American Center for the Elderly, pointed out that since 1989, the work carried out by the Cuban Geriatrics Association has been recognized by various countries.
He added that Cuba is only one of three countries of the region that
has increased its life expectancy by 20 years and is only surpassed by
Canada and the United States.
75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PAN-AMERICAN HEALTH CODE TO BE CELEBRATED IN HAVANA
San Juan, September 28(RHC)-- The General Director of the Pan American Health Organization, George Alleyne, called on all of the region's healthministers to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Pan-American Health Code in Havana on October 20th.
The call was made during the 41st Meeting of the Executive Council of The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Cuban Health Minister Carlos Dotres is attending the meeting.
The current Health Code was signed in 1924 at Havana's Academy of Sciences with the objective of uniting the region's health care systems.
The celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Pan-American Health Code
Will be held in Havana following the Ibero-American Health Minister's Meeting,
slated for October 18th and 19th in the Cuban capital.
SURGERY CONGRESSES MEET IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL
Havana, September 22(RHC)-- The 13th Latin American Congress on Surgery and 6th Cuban Congress on Surgery are underway at Havana's Convention Center.
Over 1000 surgery professors and specialists from 24 nations continued their debates and exchanges during Wednesday's sessions. The agenda includes new minimum access technologies, new approaches in surgery for colon, rectum, hernia and cysts operations and also surgery for small tumors.
Cultural activities for participants have also been scheduled, such as a Latin American Night at Havana's Amphitheater and a concert by the National Symphonic Orchestra at the Cuban capital's Amadeo Roldan Theater.
Delegates participating in this Latin American Surgery Congress underway at the Convention Center also have the opportunity to visit the various stands located in the hall where some of the latest technologies and equipment are in display. They belong to companies such as the Three M and Variant from the United States and Fem Care Limited from England as well as other companies.
The 13th Latin American Congress on Surgery and 6th Cuban Congress on Surgery wind up on Friday, the 24th.
BRITISH UNIONS CONTRIBUTE TO CUBA'S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Havana, September 24(RHC)-- British union activists have donated 17 ambulances, 14 busses and several mini-busses to the Cuban health care system. The contribution --with an estimated value of one million 500 thousand dollars -- is part of a solidarity campaign called "A Ship for Cuba."
The donation, which also includes powered milk, vitamins and clothing, Was sent to Havana by ship. Cuban Health Minister Carlos Dotres received The donation in the Cuban capital.
At the official ceremony, it was announced that a second ship with Donations
for Cuban hospitals will soon set sail for the island.
U.S. LEGISLATION ALLOWING FOR THE SALE OF FOOD AND MEDICINE TO CUBA KILLED IN COMMITTEE
Washington, September 22(RHC)-- Right wing members of the U.S. House of Representatives have blocked legislative efforts to at least partially lift Washington's blockade against Cuba -- which would have allowed for the sale of food and medicine to the island.
A Senate bill permitting U.S. companies to sell food and medicine to Cuba -- while still keeping the rest of the blockade in place -- was approved earlier this summer by a vote of 70 to 28. However, to become law, the proposal was sent to a conference committee made up of members of the Senate and House of Representatives. It was during negotiations in the conference committee that the legislation was effectively killed.
According to press reports from Capitol Hill, opponents of ending the blockade on food and medicine -- particularly congressional representatives of Cuban origin -- attached a number of conditions to the proposed legislation, including political and economic changes on the island.
One of the sponsors of the bill to allow for the sale of food and medicine to Cuba, New York Representative Jose Serrano, told reporters Wednesday that the conference committee's decision demonstrates the political power that right wing Cuban-Americans in Miami still maintain. Serrano said that it was absurd and inhumane to deny food and medicine to people for political reasons.
Farmers in the United States, pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have been promoting the partial lifting of Washington's economic blockade, arguing that the geographical proximity of Cuba makes it a logical market for U.S. products.
CUBAN-ALGERIAN JOINT COOPERATION COMMISSION BEGINS THIRD ORDINARY SESSION IN ALGIERS
Algiers, September 22(RHC)-- The Cuban-Algerian Joint Cooperation Commission began its Third Ordinary Session to analyze the state of bilateral relations, particularly in scientific and economic areas.
Cuban Deputy Health Minister Noemi Benitez Mendoza and Algeria's General Secretary of Health, Mohamed Abbes Larbi, chaired the meeting.
The main issues being discussed are in the field of agriculture, fishing, tobacco and sugar, as well as the production of vaccines and the technology used by Cuba for cardiovascular surgery.
IBERO-AMERICAN SERIES OF ONCOLOGY CONGRESSES BEGINS IN HAVANA
Havana, September 21(RHC)-- The opening ceremony of the Ibero-American series of Oncology Congresses in Cuba took place Tuesday morning in Havana. The ceremony was presided over by Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, Vice President of Cuba's Council of State; Dr. Luis Cordova, Cuba's Deputy Health Minister; Dr. Jose Jimenez Medina, president of the event's organizing committee; and Salvadoran Dr. Saul Lara, President of the Latin American Federation of Cancerology Societies.
Over 600 delegates from 30 countries are attending the Ibero-American event, underway at Havana's International Convention Center. During his address to participants of the event, the island's Deputy Health Minister Dr. Luis Cordova focused on the evolution of oncology in Cuba -- from the 1930's to date and highlighted the work done by Dr. Zoilo Marinelo, the founder of Cuba's National Oncology Group.
Dr. Cordova also pointed to the World Health Organization's recognition of Cuba's successful Cancer Control Program in 1993 and 1996 and mentioned as one of the island's achievements, a program for the early detection of breast cancer which has made it possible to detect 40 percent of the cases in the first stages. Within Cuba's Cancer Control Program, the Cuban official also mentioned one devoted to cancer in children and the treatment and care of patients in the final stages of the disease with the help of family doctors.
The island's deputy health minister acknowledged the work done by those who promote and support the island's movement called "For Life" and mentioned the contribution made by tourism workers and private employees who have already donated some six and a half million dollars for the purchase of drugs needed to fight cancer.
A special roundtable discussion on Cuban vaccines against cancer is
scheduled for Wednesday. These vaccines are now being tested on patients
at various hospitals here in Havana.
CUBA AND HONDURAS TO SIGN NEW AGREEMENT FOR MORE DOCTORS
Tegucigalpa, September 21(RHC)-- Cuba and Honduras will sign a new agreement to send some 100 Cuban doctors to the Central American nation, replacing the current medical personnel offering their services in that country.
Honduran Foreign Minister Roberto Bermudez said on Monday that Tegucigalpa is willing to sign an accord with Havana, providing for continued service by Cuban medical brigades in that country.
The new brigade will arrive in Honduras next month and is part of a contingent of 10,000 health workers offered by Cuba to Central American and Caribbean countries affected by Hurricanes Georges and Mitch.
CUBA UNVEILS CANCER VACCINE DURING CONGRESS IN HAVANA
Havana, September 20(RHC)-- Cuba will unveil a vaccine against cancer during the Cancer Congress that got underway on Monday in Havana with the participation of representatives from 30 countries.
The vaccine, which is currently in a testing phase at the Molecular Engineering Institute, could be administered to patients with advanced tumors, such as breast, lung and skin cancers.
Officials from Havana's Biotechnology Center pointed to the development achieved by the island's scientists, adding that Cuba's products have been recognized by over 30 foreign markets that demand vaccines like the anti-Meningitis type B vaccine.
An AIDS vaccine, which is still being tested, will also be presented during the Cancer Congress in Havana.
ECUADOR'S HEALTH MINISTER VISITS CUBA Havana, September 20(RHC)-- Cuban Health Minister Carlos Dotres welcomed his Ecuadorian counterpart, Edgar Rodas Andrade, who arrived in Havana over the weekend. During his visit to the island, the health minister will review current cooperation projects between Ecuador and Cuba and will take part in the Third International Surgery Congress, underway in the Cuban capital.
Upon his arrival in Havana, the Ecuadorian health minister said he hoped to get a first-hand look at the island's advances in health care and, above all, Cuba's application of information and knowledge for the benefit of humanity.
He pointed out that as part of a cooperation agreement between the two countries, Cuban doctors would be sent to offer their services in the Galapagos Islands and possibly in the Amazon region.
HAVANA HOSTS SEVERAL MINISTERIAL MEETINGS IN PREPARATION FOR THE 9th IBERO-AMERICAN SUMMIT
Havana, September 20(RHC)-- The Cuban capital will host the meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Transportation and Public Works Ministers, to take place Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday this week, the ministers of science and technology will also meet in Havana.
Both ministerial meetings are being held prior to the 9th Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, slated to take place November 15th and 16th in the Cuban capital.
Next October 18th and 19th, Havana will also host the First Ibero-American Health Minister's Meeting, which will analyze the effects of globalization in the sector and evaluate the possibilities of technical cooperation.
CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADE IN NICARAGUA MAKES AN IMPACT
Managua, September 17(RHC)-- The Cuban medical brigade in Nicaragua has treated more than 149,000 people in just nine months. And the results of its work have been remarkable.
In statements to Cuba's daily Granma, Doctor Reynaldo Perez Rosario, head of the island's medical mission in Nicaragua, said that since the arrival of the Cuban doctors in the Central American nation, the infant mortality rate has been significantly lowered.
He added that infant mortality due to severe diarrhea has decreased by some 42.8 percent and cholera has been reduced by over 70 percent.
CUBA TAKES PART IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AGAINST AIDS AND TROPICAL DISEASES IN AFRICA
Lusaka, September 17(RHC)-- Cuba is participating in the 11th International Conference against AIDS and Tropical Diseases in Africa, currently taking place in Zambia with more than 7600 delegates from 77 countries.
Cuban Deputy Health Minister Raul Perez spoke about the work the island has carried out in AIDS prevention. The Cuban health official also mentioned the island's cooperation in the health sector, which over the past 36 years, has sent 25,700 doctors to different countries around the world -- offering their services free of charge.
HAVANA OFFERS MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO EAST TIMOR;
Havana, September 17(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque has postponed a planned visit to Portugal, given the situation in Lisbon's former colony of East Timor. In a statement released by the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Perez Roque will pay an official visit to Portugal at a more convenient time.
The Cuban Foreign Ministry noted that an international peacekeeping force in East Timor is, under the exceptional circumstances of the conflict, important and necessary. The statement calls for the peacekeeping force to be under the strict command of the United Nations and without any intentions of hegemony or favoring powerful regional or foreign forces.
As long as the force is under UN command and there are no imperialist designs, Cuba is prepared to take part by sending a team of medical personnel to East Timor to treat victims of the violence. The Foreign Ministry note states that once the international peace-keeping force ends its mission, Cuba is willing to offer civilian medical brigades, for as long as necessary, to continue treating people in East Timor.
SECOND CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN CONGRESS ON
PLASTIC SURGERY GETS UNDERWAY IN HAVANA
Havana, September 16(RHC)-- The Second Central American and Caribbean Congress on Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is underway at Havana's Capitol Building with the participation of specialists from nine regional countries.
During the three-day meeting, nearly 250 delegates attending the event will analyze some 100 papers on the issue and will present reports and lectures related to plastic and reconstructive surgery and burn treatment.
Cuban Deputy Health Minister Julian Garate welcomed the participants while the General Secretary of the Ibero- American Plastic Surgery Federation said that the congress will serve to strengthen ties between the region's nations.
9 Sep 1999
GRANMA INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL EDITION.
La Havana.
Cuba
National Cancer Program - Investments and donations still don't cover the needs
Current cancer treatments include chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. All are very expensive. Before the special period, $3 million USD were set aside for chemotherapy alone.
The subsequent financial limitations caused an abrupt freeze in the acquisition of those medicines, which at last is recovering through various channels, even though they still don't cover all the needs.
Dr. Osvaldo Castro Miranda, director of Planning and Economy of Cuba's Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), explained that in the past year, a crisis because of breakdowns of equipment which in many cases is obsolete.
The decision was taken to buy seven cobalt therapy machines, at a cost of $250,000 USD a piece, from the Theratronics firm of Canada. The total expenditure of this equipment amounts to $1.75 million USD, financed by MINSAP, as part of the National Cancer Program.
The first three machines to arrive in Cuba were sent to the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology and the hospitals which treat these types of cases in Pinar del Río and Villa Clara, provinces located in the west and center of the country respectively, notes Dr. Castro. The remaining four radiotherapy machines should arrive this year and will be sent to other regions.
MINSAP will spend $2.5 million USD this year on medicines for chemotherapy treatments, because more is needed than just cytotoxic drugs, even though these are the most necessary.
During the last five years, MINSAP has received more than $6.23 million USD in donations for such expenditures, from various labor unions (the most support comes from tips received by workers in the tourism sector), as well as artists, self-employed people, and individuals in various professions and occupations.
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON DISASTERS UNDERWAY IN HAVANA
Havana, September 8(RHC)-- The 5th International Congress on Disasters is into its second day of sessions at Havana's International Convention Center. Organized by Cuba's Civil Defense headquarters, the Congress is being attended by some 200 delegates from 18 countries. The meeting includes the First International Seminar on Risk Management and the First International Exhibition of Technologies and Equipment for Civil Protection. Among the sponsors of this meeting on natural disasters is the Secretariat of the International Organization for the Reduction of Natural Disasters, the Pan American and World Health Organizations, the United Nations Development Program, the International Federation of Red Cross Societies and the European Community's Office for Humanitarian Aid. Issues discussed on Wednesday included the development of hydraulic resources in Cuba and its influence in the reduction of hydro-climatic disasters, the impact of droughts, preparations for and responses to natural disasters, chemical accidents and toxic waste spills. On the other hand, participants at the First International Seminar on Risk Management are dealing with issues ranging from risk assessment in energy and chemical processing operations to the prevention and control of risks in the tourism sector. Attended by some 80 specialists from various countries and representatives of international and regional organizations such as the Latin American Association for Agricultural Insurance, this seminar -- like the 5th Congress on Disasters -- winds up September 10th.
Cuba Upbeat On SmithKline Vaccine Deal
Sep 07, 1999
By Andrew Cawthorne
HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's deal with pharmaceutical company SmithKline Beecham to market the island's unique meningitis B vaccine could protect millions round the world as well as prove a useful business prospect, senior health officials here said. They added that the deal struck in July -- a breakthrough for Cuba's prestigious biotechnology sector -- had helped put a dent in Washington's ``illogical'' economic sanctions imposed on the Caribbean island following its 1959 revolution. ``After 40 years of blockade, for the first time, the government of the United States has authorized the sale of a Cuban product, and it's not rum or Havana cigars!'' Eric Martinez Torres, head of the Health Ministry's Science and Technology department, told Reuters in a weekend interview.
The British pharmaceutical firm announced at the end of July an agreement with the state-run Finlay Institute giving it worldwide rights to sell the vaccine. Because the Belgian laboratories where the vaccine will be tested are owned by an American subsidiary of SmithKline, thus making them subject to the trade sanctions, the deal required and got the blessing of the U.S. Treasury Department.
World Heath Organization figures show some 500,000 people a year suffer from meningitis, a swelling of the outer area of the brain and spinal cord. Roughly 10 percent of victims die. Cuba developed the vaccine in the mid-1980s in response to a meningitis B epidemic sweeping through the Caribbean island. The vaccine, which began to be administered in late 1988, virtually wiped out the disease here, slashing cases by 94 percent and deaths by 95 percent, according to Health Ministry statistics.
Some 216 Cubans died of meningitis B in 1984, for example, compared to just eight last year. ``It was Cuba's main health problem in the 1980s, but it has stopped being a problem now thanks to the vaccine,'' Miguel Angel Galindo, head of Cuba's immunization program, added.
Cuba has administered 8.3 million doses since then, and exported another nearly 40 million to eight Latin American nations (notably Brazil, Argentina and Colombia), and to Syria. It predicts, however, that sales will take off elsewhere once SmithKline tests and registers the vaccine in Europe. Martinez said that process should be fast as the product was good and the need for it, especially in Europe, was high. ``The 21st century is going to start with more hope for humanity because the Cuban patent is the only one which protects against meningitis B, and it can help an incalculable number of human beings, millions,'' added Martinez.
The officials countered some skepticism from foreign experts over the effectiveness of the Cuban vaccine. While it was true there were many different strains of meningitis, the main cause of epidemics was the meningococcus bacteria, they explained. Of three forms of meningococci, there were other vaccines for A and C, but not for the B strain.
``Cuba was the first and, until now, the only country which developed the vaccine against meningococcus B,'' Martinez said.
The discovery was testimony, he added, to Cuba's biotechnology sector, especially a small groupof scientists who worked on the vaccine: ``It was a miracle, but a miracle borne out of work, a lot of work, 24 hours a day.'' Havana views the developed world's tardiness to embrace the Cuban vaccine more as a result of the U.S. sanctions, and the reluctance of pharmaceutical companies to accept a product from outside their domain, than as a reflection on its quality.
``Now with SmithKline, it's a great bilateral opportunity, from the health and economic perspectives,'' Martinez said.
Under the agreement, SmithKline will make milestone payments in food and medicines as the vaccine is registered in new markets, and will pay cash royalties when sales are made.
The political importance is also paramount for Cuba, however, with officials arguing the deal has shown up the absurdity of the U.S. embargo or ``blockade'' as Havana calls it.``At last, the U.S. government has taken an intelligent attitude. This vaccine will help its own people. It is evidence that the blockade is not only immoral, but also useless,'' Martinez said. ``The blockade damages most the Cubans, but it also damages those who are blockading.''
NEWS from Cuba
Cuban News from Havana/Cuban Interests Section
September 6, 1999/No. 75
HAVANA.- Members of more than 50 French labor unions, mayors' offices, solidarity associations and companies, are preparing a shipment of donations destined mainly for the health sector, according to the National News Agency. The campaign called "A ship for Cuba", should end in December.Currently, the campaign extends throughout French territory, particularly in he northern municipalities. The action is coordinated by Cuba Cooperation Association in France and the Secretary for Collaboration and Foreign Contributions, together with the Mayor's Office of Havana.
NEWS from Cuba
Cuban News from Havana/Cuban Interests Section
Septrember 4, 1999/No. 7
HAVANA.- U.S. Congressmen Tom Lampson, Danny Davis and Sanfod Bishop, covered a wide range of topics during their meeting with Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, President of the Cuban People's Power National Assembly (Parliament), relating to their visit to Cuba and the current relations between both countries. The three legislators also met Cuban deputies of the work sessions which deal with the agriculture,health , foreign affairs and legal matters.
HAVANA.- Cuban Public Health Minister Carlos Dotres pointed out that, in the last 36 years, more than 37,800 public health workers have worked in 83 countries helping people in need of their modest services. At MINSAP headquarters,Dotres received a group of 440 students, from the Latin American Medical School, to whom he gave detailed information on the Cuban health system. The Minister stated precisely, that there are over 1,019 doctors, nurses and technicians working in remote areas in countries in this region and another 206 in sub-Saharan Africa.
NEWS from Cuba
Cuban News from Havana/Cuban Interests Section
September 3, 1999/No. 74
HAVANA.- A renewed collaboration in the health sector was begun with a group of Cuban medical specialists who have gone to Iraq, the Arabian country which has suffered permanent aggression and foreign embargoes. The Cuban contingent consists of orthopedists, pediatricians, physiotherapists, anesthesiologists, nurses and lab technicians serving at the Bagdad Emergency Hospital. This Cuban group, as those who work in Central America and other third world countries, will stay in Iraq for a year, but the period could be prolonged.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA.- The Medical Sciences Faculty of the Caribbean was officially opened in Santiago de Cuba, as part of the Cuban program for professional medical training for the region. The ceremony took place at the Heredia theater in Santiago de Cuba, where 117 Haitian young people, who have completed the medical preparatory course, as well as almost 100 faculty members, attended. The school is part of the graduate school of medical sciences of Santiago de Cuba.
Cuban News from Havana
Cuban Interests Section
September 2, 1999/No. 73
CARACAS.-The 100 Venezuelan high school graduates chosen to study medicine in the Latin American School of Medicine, in Cuba, traveled to Havana in a Venezuela's Air Forces plane, it was officially announced. According to the information, the students were selected among a group of 199 lower class young people. The 100 pupils include youngsters from indigenous communities. Amazona is represented eight youngsters, Bolivar, 4, and Zulia, 10. Moreover, the Venezuelan National Indigenous Committee sent 10 students.
HAVANA.- This academic year, more than 28 thousand Cuban and foreign students, including workers, will study in Cuba's 22 medical faculties. Although preliminary, this figure represents between 25 and 30 percent of the students in higher education, registration in pedagogical courses has first place, followed by health specialitie
