Cuba’s accomplishments in the COVID-19 battle do not appear in major media headlines these days. Once again, silence reigns as we defeat the virus, blow by blow, sparing no effort or resource, despite the ironclad U.S. blockade that persists, damages, limits and makes everything more expensive. Amidst this relentless struggle for our people, we also share with those in need beyond our borders.
These achievements are made possible by the Revolution, which with great sacrifice has supported the development of our public health system – universal, free and accessible to 100% of the Cuban population, focused on human beings and not profit.
Although the battle is far from over, Cuba has managed to remain in a favorable position in the fight against the pandemic. Our biopharmaceutical industry and other scientific centers are currently conducting 70 research projects and clinical trials, in addition to producing medicines to the treat COVID patients, which have been requested by dozens of nations.
“The use of two novel drugs to control the hyper-inflammatory reaction that can occur in the lungs, has increased survival rates of patients in serious condition to more than 80% and for those in critical condition to more than 75%,” reported Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal Miranda.
This is not the reality for sister peoples across our continent, and we cannot remain indifferent. The World Health Organization recently declared Latin America as the new epicenter of the pandemic, adding to the existing burden we bear as the most unequal region on the planet, a result of decades of plunder of our natural resources and neoliberal policies.
As we have done previously in the Non-Aligned Movement Forum and the World Health Assembly, Cuba yesterday, May 28, reiterated our solidarity with the peoples of the region and of the world, during a Latin American and Caribbean Parliaments online working meeting.
The Vice President of the National Assembly of People’s Power, Ana María Mari Machado, speaking during the debate, recalled that, without neglecting the our own people, 28 brigades of Cuban health professionals have joined the efforts of 24 other countries to combat the pandemic, adding to the more than 28,000 collaborators who were already providing services in 59 nations, despite the campaign of the United States government against Cuban medical cooperation, to discredit and sabotage our efforts.
Let others promote hatred, wars and lies, silencing inconvenient facts. Cuba prefers to give an example in action, offering the best of our people’s values, and continuing to serve as a sister around the world, tirelessly, in defense of life.
(Source: Granma)