I could also call this short chronicle “mid-week news,” and that is why I will begin by highlighting some headlines in the Cuban press, those which go unnoticed by many agencies and media, including some that have accredited correspondents on the island.

“From the world to Matanzas: Doctors of the Henry Reeve Brigade”. The informative content of the article refers to the solidarity of our doctors, who, just as they are capable of providing help in the most remote locations of more than 100 countries, do the same in the province of Matanzas, where a peak in the pandemic has strained public health services, and strict protocols have been established to control and defeat the virus.

Let us remind those who want to exploit the presence of a new strain in the province, to advance an unethical political maneuver, that Matanzas was where the 1961 U.S. invasion at Playa Giron was defeated; boasts the country’s most important tourist resort; and has accomplished more than enough to certify the merits of its great people. In addition to the efforts of its own health workers, the expression “We are Cuba” is now becoming a concrete reality, have no doubt.

Another headline from Matanzas itself reads: “Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant synchronized to National Electric System.”

Regarding the country’s challenges in this arena, much has been fabricated on social networks and corporate media about “blackouts” in Cuba. Unfortunately, I have yet to read any real news, in these outlets, about the reasons for the difficulties at this and other power plants.

There is not a single paragraph that at least explains how difficult or impossible it is to acquire the necessary components to perform necessary and duly planned maintenance, or that reminds the world that Cuban electrical plants function with oil and derivatives which U.S. persecution denies Cuba, threatening and pressuring shippers to prevent the arrival of tankers to the island.

Another headline from the Cuban press states: “Clinical trial of Mambisa and Abdala with convalescent patients approved.”

For those in the neighboring empire that wants to destroy us, who do not know the meaning of these names, I limit myself to reminding them that they are two of Cuba’s five anti-Covid candidate vaccines, one of which, Abdala, has already been recognized as a vaccine.

This is only a part of what the country, its scientists, its health workers and government are doing, in daily efforts to guarantee the health of an entire people – including so-called opponents.

This, whether the neighbors to the North like it or not, is the life that continues in our country, life which they have attempted to deny is, delivering death with barbaric acts perpetrated over these 60 years, among them a genocidal blockade, military threats and invasions and attacks of all kinds, and sanctions that in the midst of a pandemic become the most criminal of actions taken by United States governments.

Within their territory, with millions of tax dollars, they insist on fabricating so-called “opponents” in most cases enlisting common criminals, repeat offenders of the law, unscrupulous individuals who attack authorities and the people with knives, stones, sticks and whatever they find in their path.

They call “opponents” those who break windows and doors at shopping centers, steal merchandise and destroy cars belonging to state institutions, as well as privately owned vehicles; insult and assault police officers, assault and attempt to damage institutional buildings and streets, among many other violent acts, violating the law and order, and challenging the stability and security of their fellow citizens.

It is curious, as well as repulsive, to see the festive use they make of their cell phones to record their acts of “opposition.”

And then, they are apparently so ignorant they do not realize that the same images they desperately upload to the internet provide the evidence to identify violators of the law and allow Cuba’s courts of justice to call them to responsible for their actions.
It is also repugnant that those who “hire” them for these “opposition” maneuvers offer them a few dollars for their contribution to overthrowing the “Cuban regime.” They become cheap mercenaries, and many of them, real terrorists.

I am sure that our people know how to identify them and have full confidence that our justice system will hold them accountable for these criminal acts, with the aggravating factors of their contribution to disseminating media slanders n the midst of a pandemic and promoting its proliferation.

I doubt they will continue to be called only “opponents” in court.

(Taken from Granma)

The group returned home yesterday, having done their job, leaving the incidence and mortality rates at zero.

“The country’s COVID-19 Temporary Working Group welcomes the Henry Reeve brigade that worked for almost nine months in the Anguilla Islands, where they conducted intense work confronting the pandemic, with very good results,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez stated, in a video message.

Following their arrival in Anguila in June of 2020, the group joined the work of local professionals in medical clinics, hospital wards, the isolation unit for suspected and positive cases of SARS-COV-2, the emergency room, collective discussions of hospitalized patients and in clinical evaluation of travelers from other countries, housed in quarantine areas.

Over the course of this joint effort, 693 patients were attended.

The Cuban brigade also participated in administering tests, advising the territorial Ministry of Health in the preparation of protocols; the adaptation of quarantine sites and the hospital isolation unit; and the creation of flow charts.

Two brigade members served on the Committee of Experts which advised the Minister of Health in the planning and execution of the island’s anti-COVID-19 vaccination plan and in clinical monitoring to detect any immediate adverse reactions to the vaccine.

(Taken from Granma)

To better understand this work in Cuba, in times of pandemic, Granma spoke with Dr. Ricardo Pereda González, a member of the Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine National Advisory Group, who conceptualizes the specialty as focused on a group of special, integrated procedures to achieve the survival of patients in serious or critical condition that lead to recovery or cure of their disease.

In the practice of this specialized field, work is conducted on the basis of protocols which establish medical treatments and biosecurity measures to be taken; the system of collaborative work used to ensure high quality medical assistance and better results from the attention provided these patients.

“All medical activity is guided by protocols, followed on the basis of the patient’s illness. These are like action guides for each Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and respond to the evolution of the patient. There is no single national protocol for ICUs, rather they are adjusted to the case management situation of each specialized unit,” the specialist in Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine stated.

He added that, over the months of work battling the new coronavirus in Cuba, protocols have been successfully adjusted for patients with specific pathologies, to avoid contradictions with added incorporated medication.

-Could you tell us about Cuban protocols for the treatment of COVID-19?

-We designed our protocols based on international experiences, and have incorporated the valid contributions obtained in these months of the pandemic. The accumulated experience gives us security and peace of mind with the use of adequate and included medicines according to the situations presented.

-Is there a development plan for the country’s intensive care units?

-Based on our experience in addressing COVID-19, and the guidance of the country’s leadership, we have established a plan for the development of our intensive care units in three stages, starting from the experience gained with the introduction and development of this type of service in Cuba.

The principal goal is to increase the number of beds for the care of patients in serious condition, to be in a position to respond to this pandemic and future epidemiological situations, with the introduction of new medical technologies and personnel specialized in intensive care practices, taking into account that nursing is decisive to the recovery of a patient.

The first stage should be completed in 2021, and involves the repair and modernization of units currently in operation, and the incorporation of a significant number of beds, depending on the country’s economic situation.

The second is conceived through 2023 and the third until 2026.

Our intention is to add everything we need to complete services available in all intensive care units, and to have better, newer technological resources: including everything from ventilators to the engineering systems, among others, thinking about the physical structure of the premises, which must respond to the pathologies to be treated. COVID-19 led us to expand isolation cubicles. Our commitment and challenge is to save lives.

In Cuba, we prepared for the worse in an adverse scenario, facing an extremely complex situation to assist COVID-19 patients, and foreseen capacity was never exceeded and our hospitals never experienced a collapse.

-How do you explain the fact that our intensive care units did not collapse during peak periods with the highest numbers of cases?

-We have a well organized health system, with systematic, daily leadership, and direct participation of the country’s top authorities. This ensured that tasks were carried out as planned at each stage, under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap).

None of our units exceeded their capacity; even in very tense moments, we were able to refer patients to institutions that had been prepared and planned for an increase in the number of patients. This was contemplated in the national strategic plan to respond to the epidemic. We still have this design and it allows us to make decisions, at this time, about adjusting the plan to the current circumstances.

- Could you explain how infections and deaths among personnel in the red zone were avoided?

-This is due to the training and education that the selected professionals who work in the red zone receive. They strictly respected all the biosecurity measures, without ever violating protocols. A principle of caring for each other was generated as part of the discipline within hospitals and, especially, in intensive care units.

I include in this group those who guarantee the hygiene of the premises, the utensils and the distribution of food.

I think respect for and adherence to the biosafety protocol established for these places exists. Everything is written down. Our practice has shown us that adherence to the biosafety protocol has been successful in dealing with COVID-19 in Cuba.

-What Intensive Care experiences can Cuba offer the world at this stage of the pandemic?

-One of our experiences is in the effectiveness of the protocols, following them with discipline and respect.

Another is having a health system organized on several levels, with universal coverage and free of charge for the entire society, under the leadership of the Ministry and the government. Our protocol for attending COVID-19 patients begins and ends in the community.

The family doctor program has the responsibility for prevention, care and epidemiological surveillance of all territories. This is where action to prevent illness takes place and where patients are provided follow-up through all necessary levels of care, as the seriousness of a disease increases. Prevention involves the active search for individuals who have been, or may be, infected. For this effort, we have recruited students from all universities, with an emphasis on those in Medical Sciences, to conduct thorough community surveys. In addition, supervision by the country’s highest leadership has been decisive, making timely decisions on a daily basis.

These experiences are unique, given the nation’s political will to address a global health problem. To this can added the response of the population, which has maintained discipline in accordance with calls made by authorities. It would be an injustice not to highlight the response of the Cuban biotechnology industry and its scientists, who have worked together in a unified fashion.

-How does the U.S. blockade impact intensive care?

-The blockade has been omnipresent for many years, and the country’s economic possibilities have been reduced by the actions and coercive measures of the U.S. government. This limits and delays the introduction of technologies.

The blockade is criminal, not only for Cubans, but also for the U.S. citizens themselves, since it prevents the exchange of knowledge between the two countries”.

In figures

122 municipal intensive care units

152 intensive care units including:

47 neonatal

32 pediatric

73 for adults

1,203 beds for specialized care and treatment

10.7 intensive care beds per 100,000 inhabitants

15 beds per 100,000 inhabitants is the goal established in development plans through 2026.

(Taken from Granma)

The group made up of 35 health specialists from the internationalist Henry Reeve contingent treated 4,627 patients, saved 52 lives and carried out 23,997 nursing procedures.

These professionals, of whom 14 are women and 21 are men, have more than 10 years of work experience, and represent 13 provinces of the country, the Ministry of Public Health reported.

According to this source, 65.7 percent of those collaborators completed an internationalist mission, mainly in Venezuela, and five of them in Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry, Pakistan and Haiti.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, 52 Henry Reeve brigades have collaborated with government efforts in 39 countries to contain contagions and save lives, and 43 of them are currently active in 33 nations.

A total of 2,523 Cuban collaborators, 1,435 of whom treat positive cases for Covid-19, have assisted 615,165 patients, and saved 13,590 lives in nations that have required their presence.

Numerous organizations and personalities from around the world promote the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize of this Henry Reeve International Medical Contingent Specialized in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics.

(With information from PL)

Reception of Cuban doctors in Huaraz. Photo: Peru21

A group of Cuban health professionals completed their first week of work against Covid-19 in this city in the Andes of northern Peru, which could well be considered the capital of solidarity between both countries.

The 27 Cubans re- enact the altruism of the pioneers of Cuban medical solidarity with Peru, who arrived half a century ago in Huaraz to save lives among the rubble of the city devastated by an earthquake in 1970.

That expedition brought 150,000 blood donations and left six hospitals built by builders from the island, centers that are still in operation, with some modifications.

With this precedent, it was not surprising that the new wave of solidarity arriving from the Caribbean was warmly received by the health authorities of the Ancash region – of which Huaraz is the capital – upon its arrival from the city of Chimbote, the main one on the coast. from Áncash and where they worked since last June.

The Cubans arrived with some concern about “soroche”, as altitude sickness is called in Quechua , since Huaraz is at 3,552 meters above sea level; but the precautions taken made them not affected or hardly felt the usual discomforts in people who come from the plain.

The brigade is made up of 27 health professionals from the largest of the Antilles. Photo: Peru21

Raudel Vargas, head of the brigade of 87 professionals who also cooperate with the fight against coronavirus in the southern regions of Arequipa, Ayacucho and Moquegua, expressed the satisfaction of his colleagues for the affectionate welcome to this sunny city surrounded by snow-capped mountains, called “The Peruvian Switzerland”.

At the head of the group arrived in Huaraz, Vargas said that the group arrived with the decision to contribute with their efforts, together with dedicated Peruvian professionals, to the fight against the pandemic, as they did in Chimbote.

“We have come to insert ourselves in the health system to work in a joint and integrated way, with a lot of heart and based on the most important thing, which is the health of the people,” he added. He informed Prensa Latina that the group has 11 of its members in the Víctor Ramos Guardia Regional Hospital and the other 16 in the Huaylas Sur Health Network, which includes the Huarupampa, Nicrupampa and Palmira micro-networks.

Those assigned to the aforementioned hospital “were received in a very respectful and cordial manner by the management of the center,” commented doctor Mario Héctor Almeida in one of his chronicles about the Peruvian experience.

“The Huaracinos insisted on giving us a good first impression. They looked frank and open in their speeches to make us feel at home,” he added.

He considered that it has been a week of “discoveries, new experiences, incorporation into services, greasing the machine and engaging in meeting new challenges.”

Almeida also stressed that Peruvian colleagues “have given us the confidence to work together in the effort to save as many lives as possible.”

Press conference offered by the medical brigade. Photo: Peru 21

(Taken from Prensa Latina)

Newly graduated doctors of the 2004-5 course;

Members of the ‘Henry Reeve’ brigade;

Health professionals who have completed glorious international missions;

Students in their fourth, fifth and sixth years at the Faculties of Medical Sciences in the Capital;

Students of the Latin American School of Medicine;

Young students of Nursing and Health Technology;

Professors, relatives and guests;

Compatriots:

The number of Latin American and Caribbean students from countries in South, Central and North America graduating from the Latin American School of Medicine, together with the young Cubans who graduate here today, amounts to 3,515 new doctors who will be at the service of our peoples and the world.

This figure will increase until ten thousand doctors are graduated every year, to meet our commitment of training one hundred thousand doctors from Latin America and the Caribbean in Cuba in ten years, under the principles of ALBA, signed between Cuba and Venezuela, which will contribute an equal number, in an unwavering attempt to integrate our peoples.

Graduating as a doctor is like opening a door to a long road leading to the noblest action that a human being can do for others.

Although every person and every people has the right to a healthy life and to enjoy the privilege of a long and useful existence, the richest, most developed societies, ruled by consumerism and a thirst for profit, have made the health service into a common business, inaccessible to the poorest sectors of the population. In many Third World countries this service barely exists, and between developed countries and the euphemistically called ‘developing countries’ the differences are vast.

While statistics speak of developed countries with child mortality rates lower than 10 for 1000 life births, and some boast a life expectancy that reaches or surpasses 80 years of age, others, such as many African countries, have to settle for child mortality rates of over 100 for children under one year of age and often 150 for 1000 life births, and a decreasing life expectancy rate that in some countries fluctuates between 30 and 40 years of age. While the world watches this happen, military spending amounts to one trillion dollars every year, a figure only comparable to one other absurd expense, that is, commercial publicity, which also equals one trillion. Either of these sums, invested wisely year after year, would be more than enough to ensure that all the people of the world lived a decent life.

Neither the climate nor genetic potential are causing this tragedy. Cuba, a tropical country, with a hot and humid climate, a favorable environment for viruses, bacteria and fungus, whose population is a mixture of ethnicities, subjected to a cruel blockade and economic war for almost half a century, has, despite all this, an infant mortality rate of less than 6 for 1000 life births under one year of age, a rate that falls just below that of Canada, and is headed towards 5 and maybe even less than 4 in the near future, which will put Cuba in first place in the continent. Furthermore, it will take our country half the time it took Sweden and Japan to raise life expectancy from 70 to 80 years, as it today stands at 77.5 years of age. Its medical services have increased this expectancy by almost 18 years, from a rate of approximately 60 years at the time of the triumph of the Revolution in January 1959.

These words might sound presumptuous if it were not possible to rightly describe our Homeland today as the country that has done more than any other nation in the world to share its medical expertise and experience with other peoples.

Not once, throughout the selfless history of the Revolution, have our people failed to offer its supportive medical assistance to other nations in need of this aid at times when catastrophes have hit them, regardless of wide ideological and political differences, or the serious insults received from the government of any of these countries.

Our concept of the humane condition of the peoples and the duty of brotherhood and solidarity has never been, nor will they ever be, betrayed.

Tens of thousands of Cuban doctors and healthcare professionals stationed around the world are irrefutable proof of what I am saying. For them, there will never be any language barriers, sacrifice, danger or obstacles. It is now 43 years since Cuba sent its first brigade to Algeria, a country that had only just freed itself from colonialism following a heroic struggle for independence.

After more than four decades, and with the special period drawing to an end, the healthcare system has become the most important sector in the exchange of goods and services between our country and the rest of the world in economical terms; but despite this Cuba has not failed to offer its medical assistance completely free of charge to more than 60 Third World countries lacking economic resources. That is how it has always been and how it always will be.

Nothing that I have said, however, can match the Comprehensive Healthcare Programs created following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998, which killed tens of thousands of children and adults, mostly the poor and vulnerable.

We promised to send enough doctors to save as many lives each year as were taken by the hurricane. At that time, almost immediately afterwards, the Latin American School of Medicine, ELAM, was established. The comprehensive program was extended to other nations in Latin America and the Caribbean and quickly reached many far away countries in Africa. Today, even East Timor, far away in Oceania, is included in the Cuban Comprehensive Healthcare Program.

There are now 12,000 students at ELAM. Just two months ago the first 1,610 students graduated. Many Prime Ministers and senior officials from the region attended that ceremony, among them was our close friend Hugo Chavez, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a country to which we are bound by indestructible historical ties and by the common struggle for the full independence and integration of our peoples.

Both of us, in the name of the peoples of Venezuela and Cuba, are deeply committed to supporting healthcare, literacy, education, Mission Miracles, PETROCARIBE, ELECTROCARIBE, the struggle against HIV and other important social and economic programs with a strong humane and integration component in our region.

The enormous task of preserving and restoring the sight to no less than six million people from Latin America and the Caribbean, and of training 200 thousand healthcare professionals in 10 years, is completely unprecedented.

However, I am convinced that these programs will be bettered. On June 30, it was suggested that Mission Miracle be extended to other countries in the Caribbean. Today, 81 days later, I can say here that the number of people from the Caribbean who have undergone eye surgery is now 4,212 and the number of Venezuelan brothers and sisters who have been operated on so far this year is 79,450, which combine for a total 83,662 patients.

The great progress made in this field by our country will reach other sister nations in our region by way of the young professionals who are beginning to graduate from the Latin American School of Medicine.

It is a fact that the medical assistance given by Cuba and its scientific institutions to other parts of the world is spreading rapidly in the interest of humanity. There is nothing strange about the behavior of Cuba, which did not hesitate to offer the people of the United States the immediate dispatch of experienced doctors with the essential resources needed to administer emergency care to people in mortal danger following a serious natural disaster. Also, our country was closest to the area hit by the hurricane and was in the position to send over human and material aid in a matter of hours. It was as if a big American cruise ship with thousands of passengers aboard were sinking in waters close to our coast.

We could not remain indifferent. No-one would believe that this aid could be taken as an offence or a humiliation. Our message was sent to the federal authorities of the United States just after Katrina, with her devastating force, battered New Orleans. It hurts to think that maybe some of those desperate people, trapped by the water and at death’s door, could have been saved. It is a harsh lesson for those whose false pride and mistaken concepts led them to decide not to respond, even belatedly, to our offer, which isn’t the first time in these circumstances.

Some have tried to justify this behavior, citing Cuba’s decision to reject the ridiculous financial offer of 50 thousand dollars, which, due to obvious historical and moral reasons, in the midst of a blockade which has cost tens of billions of dollars, as well as the harassment and aggression of half a century that has cost the lives of thousands of people, we had to reject. We didn’t offer money, we were offering to save lives, and our offer still stands today and the next day, as it is and always will be Cuba’s practice towards any country in the world.

We discussed this issue publicly because on the long list of countries that offered help, the name of Cuba was omitted, which confused and even startled many friends of our country around the world. We explained this on September 2, three days after making our offer, specifying that we were prepared to send 1,100 doctors by air, in a period of between 12 and 36 hours, with 24 tons of essential medications in their backpacks; 48 hours went by, and on September 4, that force already composed of 1,586 professionals and ready to leave with 36 tons of medication, was meeting at the Convention Center where it was given the name of ‘Henry Reeve’ Medical Force, in memory of that exceptional young American combatant who died fighting for Cuba’s independence.

During the night of September 12, a press release was delivered to the Granma newspaper and published the following day, where it was reported that the graduation of doctors from the 2004-5 course would take place at 5 pm on September 19 in La Plaza de la Banderas in the Latin American School of Medicine. But the weather forced us to change the venue. It was also reported, and I quote, that:

“On this day a so far unprecedented organization will be formed: the International Contingent of Doctors Specialized in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics. This will take the place of the Medical Force formed to help the people of the United States when Katrina hit the south of this country with all its brutal force. Its aim will not just be to help a certain nation, but to give immediate assistance, with its specially trained staff, to any country that suffers a catastrophe, particularly those that are hit by hurricanes, floods or other natural phenomena of this severity. It will carry the same name as the Medical Force, formed as a response to the tragedy which has just befallen the people of the United States, and that is ‘Henry Reeve’.”

By then, 14 days had gone by without any reply to our offer.

During the night of Wednesday, September 14, I met again with all the members of that force, who were in the process of deepening their knowledge, in order to inform them of the statement made by the Governor of Louisiana, which had been received in Cuba that very same day, and the message sent by Bruno Rodríguez, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the content of which I shall read out now, word for word, so that you may all know about it.

“Honorable Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Governor of the state of Louisiana.

“Madame Governor:

“We have carefully read your Executive Order No. KBB 2005-33 establishing the ‘Declaration of Public Health Emergency and Suspension of In-State Licensure for Medical Professionals and Personnel Licensed Out-of-State’, quoting that ‘… although scores of people have been rescued, there are many more persons waiting for rescue, evacuation and medical assistance, and many citizens have suffered or will suffer injury and/or illness…’. The Declaration also states that ‘…the number of medical professionals and personnel currently available to the state to respond to this emergency are insufficient and there is a need to immediately supplement their number in order to serve those affected by this disaster…’”

“I would like to communicate to you that the necessary Cuban personnel, up to 1,586 qualified and experienced physicians, carrying the appropriate medicines that the new circumstances may dictate, that was offered to the United States to assist the population and relieve the suffering of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, stands ready to fly immediately to the State of Louisiana as soon as you have the corresponding authorization from the federal authorities.

Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, a.i.”

Now, it is September 19, another five days have passed and the federal authorities haven’t said a word. There is, therefore, growing reason to believe that on this occasion the generous and timely offer made by our people will not be accepted.

As the tragedy experienced by the world is increasingly evident, we confirm today, September 19, 2005, the decision to create the ‘Henry Reeve’ Contingent. This brigade will be primarily composed of members of the current force bearing this name. Successive members will be 200 volunteers from the current graduation of doctors, 200 from the previous graduation of 2003-4, 600 students in their sixth year of Medicine from the 2005-6 course, and 800 in their fifth year from this same course. Later, others will follow. Nobody should feel left out.

The tens of thousands of specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine, as well as Cuban Nursing graduates and healthcare professionals who are presently on missions abroad, or who have completed them, represent an infinite reserve for the ‘Henry Reeve’ Contingent.

Regardless of the knowledge that they have as general practitioners, the youngest, or the specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine, which will be the majority, or in other specialties, and wherever they carry out their functions, be it in our country or another part of the world, all members of the Contingent must posses a solid knowledge of epidemiology and illnesses associated with catastrophes, and must master two of the most common languages; be physically able and, depending on the case, have the will and preparation necessary to be transferred quickly by different means to the place where they are urgently needed. Young Latin American and Caribbean graduates of ELAM, including Americans studying there, may also join this glorious organization, which is the first of its kind in the history of humanity increasingly in need of cooperation and solidarity.

The ‘Henry Reeve’ Contingent can do more than just help the population in the event of a hurricane, flood and other similar natural disasters. Certain epidemics represent real natural and social disasters. Suffice it to mention, the Hemorrhagic Dengue, which is attacking a growing number of countries in Latin America, and whose symptoms are particularly fatal to children, and other old and new grave illnesses. We can and must find the most efficient ways to combat these diseases. There is a particularly terrible epidemic –let’s call it that– which has the world in its grip: HIV, AIDS. It is threatening to wipe out entire nations and even vast continental regions.

Cuba ranks highly on the world scale of countries preventing and struggling against this disease. Looking at the rates that prevail in this part of the world, it can be noted that some countries with an average infestation rate, had in 2003 –the last year for published statistics– an AIDS prevalence of 2.4%, 2.3%, 3.2% in the adult population aged between 15 and 49 years. I’m not mentioning any names for obvious reasons. In other countries the infestation rate is much higher still. The lowest rate after Cuba is 0.6%. I’ll not say who that is either. The rate in Cuba is 0.07%, that is to say, 8.6 times less than in the country with the second lowest rate.

Our doctors, our scientists, our pharmacists, and in particular the members of the ‘Henry Reeve’ Contingent, must know all there is to know about AIDS, the most efficient ways to combat it, and above all they should realize that these methods must be adapted to the specific conditions of each country.

When the immensely rich developed nations decide to truly cooperate with countries in Africa and other parts of the world in the struggle against AIDS, they will need professionals like those in the ‘Henry Reeve’ Contingent. It is then that the value of this action will be understood in all its magnitude. The rich, developed states posses the financial capital, but they don’t have the human capital. In order to avoid transmission from mother to child, for example, it is necessary to perform a Caesarian section on the mother; the mothers live in the villages and the doctors from the developed world don’t go into the African villages, they have not been trained for that.

It is necessary to train the doctors needed in the countryside, in the villages, in the poor and marginalized neighborhoods of Third World cities. Even in extremely rich countries like the United States, tens of millions of Afro-Americans, Indians, Latin American immigrants, Haitians and many others have no healthcare programs or medical care.

We are offering to train professionals who are prepared to struggle against death. We shall prove that there is a solution to many of the planet’s tragedies. We are proving that man can and must better himself. We are proving the value of conscience and ethics. We are offering life.

Long live the protectors of life who graduate today!

Long live the doctors capable of defeating death!

Long live the glorious ‘Henry Reeve’ International Contingent!

This, of course, means that their safety, and specifically their health, depend fundamentally on the level of care they receive from adults, and the precautions these adults take to avoid exposing their children to the risk of possible infection.

In Cuba, as of September 6, a total of 467 patients of pediatric age had tested positive for the SARS-COV-2 virus, 83.3% of whom have recovered satisfactorily.

This does not imply, however, that no child with the disease reaches serious condition, as confirmed by statistics gathered worldwide related to aggravation of the disease and deaths among children with COVID-19.

While this is not the most common scenario for the youngest patients who generally experience mild symptoms, or none at all, a real danger exists, making prevention the best vaccine against the disease.

WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT COVID-19 IN CHILDREN?

While across the planet important studies have been conducted to determine exactly the reactions of children to the disease, their capacity to infect others, and why they experience milder symptoms than adults, experts at the World Health Organization insist that much remains to be investigated to reach conclusive findings.

Despite this reality, important contributions have been made to understanding the impact of the disease in this vulnerable segment of the population, which have shed light on the symptoms, the viral load, and long term physical effects, as well as psychological, among children.

Since April this year, for example, doctors in Britain have identified an increase among pediatric COVID patients of multi-systematic inflammatory syndrome. Something similar was noted in New York, and reports from other nations have emerged.

In a statement to National Geographic, Rachel Graham, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, explained that more long-term studies are needed of children who have recovered from COVID-19, to precisely identify possible long term effects of the disease.

The fact is that, since the development of complications is much more frequent in other age groups, fewer studies of pediatric patients are conducted.

On the other hand, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps have been identified as the symptoms that most commonly indicate an infection in children, as opposed to those usually first exhibited by adults, according to researchers at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The study demonstrated that, at this early age, the presence of the disease is not always obvious, and can be confused with other common ailments, making immediate medical attention key to an accurate diagnosis and timely treatment.

As the pandemic has continued over these months, with the world immersed in the battle against this new coronavirus, questions have emerged as to whether children can infect adults or not, an issue that, according to experts, has not been adequately studied. One study was however recently published in the JAMA Pediatrics journal, showing that the viral load carried by children over five years of age is similar to that of adults. But below this age, the presence of the virus in the upper respiratory tract can be ten to one hundred times greater than that seen in older children and adults – thus potentially making these young children and infants powerful propagators of the illness.

And COVID-19 does leave effects after recovery. This issue has been studied and reliable findings are available. In the case of children, ongoing difficulty in breathing, chest pain, and diarrhea have been identified.

Other effects of a psychological nature must also be considered. The abrupt changes in daily routines, the isolation, and the closing of schools, leaving children without their principal opportunity for socialization, have been cited as the effects of greatest impact.

ARE CHILDREN LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TOSARS-COV-2?

The recent increase in the number of children and adolescents infected by the new coronavirus shows that they are as susceptible to the disease as adults, and this is an issue that the World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized.

The international body, cited by teleSur, noted that testing to date suggests that children and young adults are less likely to develop a serious case of the illness, but such cases do emerge in all age groups, and the same protocols of quarantine and isolation must be followed if a child exhibits symptoms or the possibility of exposure exists.

The growing number of adolescents and young people being infected, a trend noted in outbreaks around the world following the relaxing of restrictions, is alarming. The multinational broadcaster reports that, according to WHO data, between February 24 and July 12, the number of patients 15 to 24 years of age increased from 4.5% of the total to 15%.

The vulnerability of the pediatric age group is understood in its full dimension when other aggravating factors are considered, such as poverty, the lack of hygienic conditions, limited access to health care, and the suspension of regular immunization programs during the pandemic.

THE NEWS NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR

“COVID-19 can be fatal for children: The figures are low until it happens to your child.” This was the headline of an article in the Washington Post reporting the death of Skylar Herbert, a five-year-old who became the first little girl to die in Michigan, as a consequence of COVID-19.

More stories from other regions, just as sad, can be read, and who knows how many others will never be told. But they provide the clear evidence that children, adolescents and young adults are not invulnerable, their lives can also be cut short by the pandemic.

In normal times, children are a high priority for Cuba’s public health system. Now, in times of pandemic, efforts are redoubled to avoid infection in this age group and guarantee the recovery of those who do get sick. This joint work has prevented such terrible losses on our island.

Nonetheless, we must ask ourselves, if the basic cell of our society, the family, is making the same effort to provide the care our treasured children need, with the same insistence that the state has shown.

This subject deserves reflection, since saving a life depends not only on the professionalism, willpower, and vigilance of our health workers. At times, all this is not enough, since, in medicine, two plus two is not always four.

Let us reject the myths that cloud our thinking, and the figures that produce over-confidence. Can children suffer a serious case of COVID-19? Yes. Can children die from COVID-19? Yes. Can our responsibility, discipline, and heightened awareness prevent an infection? Yes. This, too, is possible.

(Source: Granma)

But it seems that their solidarity and internationalist vocation has been, thus far, a moral repellent.

According to information provided by Dr. Jorge Hidalgo Bustillo, director of the Central Unit for Medical Collaboration (UCCM), all 28,268 members of Cuba’s medical brigades working in 61countries, around the world, remain free of the virus, to date.

Given the situation, the center is maintaining close contact with brigade leaders via video conferences, and provides a report on the health of doctors and technicians which is updated daily. “There is permanent communication, as has historically been done, and we have here, at the UCCM, a command post that works 24 hours a day,” Dr. Hidalgo reported.

Of the countries where Cuban medical brigades are present, he said, Qatar, Algeria, China, South Africa and Kuwait have cases of infection within their populations, but added, “Our personnel is well protected, and has not had contact with the sick patients.”

He said that communication is also maintained with health directorates in brigade members’ home provinces, to keep family and loved ones informed of their health.

Confirming this reality were heads of medical missions in Haiti, Guatemala, Algeria, South Africa and Qatar, who interacted with the press via video telephone calls to describe the health condition of their respective teams, and precautions being taken.

From Guatemala, mission leader Dr. Yuri Batista Varela stated that the 441 collaborators there were healthy, following protocols established by the nation’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance. He stressed that, of the members of the delegation, 57% are considered to be at high risk since they are over 59 years of age and have chronic diseases.

“Today we have 14 epidemiologists on the team, who will perform the task of caring for suspected patients. We have a national referral hospital, located in Guatemala City, with a capacity of 200 beds for the care of the most serious cases,” he added.

Dr. Batista pointed out that Cuban personnel have the necessary resources to prevent contagion, including face masks, disinfectant solutions and medicines, and attention has been increased for the 24 brigade members serving in locations along the border. He noted that the country has sufficient supplies to handle test samples in the capital city laboratory.

In Haiti, Dr. Luis Olivero Serrano described the experiences of Cubans in this sister country, which is vulnerable due to its weak health infrastructure, and permeable border with the Dominican Republic, which has reported several Covid-19 cases.

He stated that the 345 Cuban healthcare professionals – three on vacation – who provide services in the needy country are meeting their responsibilities without interruption, and that relevant measures are taken to prevent contagion. Dr. Olivero added that updated training on Covid-19 has been provided; all brigade members have protective resources; and that security protocols are followed for those who travel to Cuba.

On the other side of the world, in Qatar, where the 499 members of the Cuban medical mission work in a single hospital, brigade chief Dr. Ernesto Lopez Cruz, reported that, within the country’s population, several cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, and there is also concern given the situation in neighboring nations such as Iran.

“A policy has been designed here for contingency plans. The sick are kept in a quarantine center with all the appropriate conditions. Our hospital has five rooms with negative pressure – for cases of infectious diseases – which would be used if necessary,” he said.

From South Africa, another of the countries reporting the existence of Covid-19, Dr. Reynaldo Denis de Armas, in charge of 216 Cuban medical brigade members, reported that one coronavirus patient is being treated at the hospital where three of our doctors work, but they are not in danger of infection.

In Algeria, the country where Fidel first began our efforts to offer solidarity around the world through Cuban medicine, the head of the brigade, Dr. Reinaldo Menendez Garcia, stated that the 891 brigade members providing services in 47 health centers are healthy and not involved in the Covid-19 cases reported to date.

“None of our staff members have respiratory symptoms, or any suspicious signs of infection,” he said, and in a completely natural tone added: “We’re good!” •

(Source: Granma)

This is why the risk of death during the first year of life is low on the Island. This is the commitment of entire multidisciplinary teams capable of overcoming the greatest challenges, thanks to the political will and support of our government.

Preliminary data, provided by the Medical Records and Health Statistics Directorate, indicate that this past year, born in Cuba were 109,707 children, 6,626 less than the previous year, with an infant mortality rate of 5.0 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Dr. Noemí Causa Palma, director of medical care at the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap), told Granma that we continue to be among the 35 countries with the lowest infant mortality rate and among the first in the region.

The main factors contributing to infant mortality, she added, were related to complications associated with premature birth and intrauterine growthretardation (IUGR), and despite efforts made in the care of pregnant women and newborns, and additional measures adopted, it was not possible to reduce their impact on infant mortality.

It should be noted that for the third consecutive year, the infant mortality rate due to congenital malformations was 0.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. The provinces of Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and the Isle of Youth special municipality ended the year with no deaths from this cause.

This indicator is the best in our region of the Americas and is the result of the work carried out by community genetic services, the development of the national medical genetics network and the national program for the prevention of congenital defects and genetic diseases, Dr. Causa explained.

It is also significant that in 2019 there were no reported maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage, a persistent problem in developing countries and an achievement for Cuba, the result of multidisciplinary work carried out over the past three years.

Essential objectives in maternal-infant health care for 2020, the doctor reported, include increasing multisectoral work to reduce teenage pregnancy and risk factors faced by women of childbearing age, such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, among others.

Efforts will also be focused on strengthening the monitoring of pregnant women at high risk during their prenatal care in order to detect retarded intrauterine growth and hypertensive disorders in a timely fashion, and prevent pre-term deliveries.

In the case of neonatal services, she added, efforts will be intensified to continue to increase newborn survival rates.

Similarly, health promotion and educational actions will continue to be expanded through the mass media, directed toward women of childbearing age, their partners and family members, in relation to the importance of taking folic acid to prevent congenital disorders, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, health care for chronic diseases and pregnancy, the promotion of breastfeeding, and the prevention of accidents and community-acquired infections.

PRINCIPAL INDICATORS

-The preschool mortality rate – from 1 to 4 years of age – in 2019 increased from 3.0 to 3.5 per 10,000 inhabitants of that age, the main causes being accidents, acute respiratory infections and malignant tumors.

-The survival rate of children under 5 years of age to the fifth year of life is 99.3%. This indicator has exceeded 99 % for the last 20 years.

-The school age mortality rate – from 5 to 14 – remained at 2.0 per 10,000 inhabitants in this age range.

-The perinatal mortality rate was reduced from 8.3 to 8.0, primarily by reducing late fetal deaths.

-The total maternal mortality rate was reduced from 43.8 per 100,000 live births in 2018 to 37.4 in 2019, with 10 fewer deaths.

-Direct maternal mortality was reduced from 27.5 to 23.7 and indirect maternal mortality from 16.3 to 13.7.PER?

-Through the program serving infertile couples, more than 6,000 pregnancies were achieved, 2,000 more than last year. In the provincial service centers, six of ten couples assisted achieved pregnancies. In the Regional High Technology Centers, located in the provinces of Havana (two), Cienfuegos and Holguín, more than 200 pregnancies were conceived for the first time, using advanced assisted reproduction techniques.

-A merit for our country and for the National Public Health System was the ratification, by the World Health Organization last September, of our status as a country free of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis, granted to Cuba in 2015, as the first country in the world.

-In 2019, vaccination coverage of over 98% was guaranteed, protecting the child population against 13 diseases.

-Additionally, through the end of 2019, some 510 cochlear implants have been performed, since the beginning of this program.

(Granma)

But, be careful! Because they are trying to defame one of the world’s most beautiful works: health for all and solidarity.

The latest U.S. attack on our country is being carried out through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a cover institution for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) which, financed with a few million dollars, is paying for information to sabotage and discredit Cuba’s health care cooperation in dozens of countries, for the benefit of millions of people.

They have used a bit of everything against our country and have always received the right answer from Cuba: the truth – which neither Mike Pompeo, Marco Rubio, or Trump are accustomed to honoring.

Money, in any case, cannot replace the truth, honor, ethics, and professionalism of hundreds of thousands of compatriots who have provided their services in the planet’s most remote areas, and will continue to do so.

The slanderers know this very well. Cuba is the exception, providing massive, free, quality health services, allowing the achievement of health indicators, in many cases, better than those in so-called First World countries, including the United States.

Let us challenge the impostors of the Trump administration to state how many countries in the world use 51% of their annual Gross Domestic Product for health and education.

And more importantly, with this budget, in 2019, provide approximately 226 million free medical consultations and 1.38 million hospital admissions, and guarantee the education of almost two million students in early childhood, primary, special, and secondary schools, along with 250,000 in universities.

A report published in the Revista Panamericana de la Salud in 2018 recognizes, “The Cuban National Health System has a solid infrastructure, including a broad network of sanitary facilities that guarantee total coverage, access, and equity in services to the population with qualified human resources.”

The show put on by the Trump team can only be described as deplorable. In the country where plans are designed and executed to economically asphyxiate Cuba, health services, despite their exorbitant cost, are not available to all citizens.

We are talking about a nation where the cost of a four-day hospital stay, for someone hurt in a motorcycle accident, could reach almost 126,000 dollars; complementary services like lab tests, anesthetist, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation could cost more than $47,000. A fractured ankle cost a U.S. citizen the stratospheric figure of $80,000, which incidentally, did not include the ambulance, anesthesia, or postoperative treatment; and the surgical removal of an infected appendix, just over $36,000.

These are only a few examples of health care costs in the richest country in the world, where millions of poor must live the rest of their lives paying for a hospital stay or surgery.

A very important fact: This same country, in the current fiscal year, is spending a war budget of 718 billion dollars in the service of death and destruction, with 800 military bases and more than 300,000 soldiers deployed in 177 countries.

The Donald Trump administration, which would like to discredit Cuban health services and the international contributions of our doctors, does not have any sort of medical brigade that provides services in the most impoverished, needy nations, where millions of children die every year without medical assistance.

This government spends millions of dollars to lie to the world regarding the humanitarian work of Cuban medicine and our principles of solidarity, put into practice by those voluntarily completing internationalist missions in more than 100 countries, committed to the vocation of saving lives.

(Granma)