U.S. government escalates campaign against Cuban international medical cooperation
Declaration from Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denouncing the dishonest campaign the U.S. government has conducted since 2019 to discredit Cuba’s international medical cooperation; exert pressure on the governments that have requested it and deprive peoples of these health services
MINREXoctober 1, 2020 11:10:21
Photo: Ariel Cecilio Lemus
The Cuban people and the international community are aware of the dishonest campaign the United States government has conducted since 2019 to discredit Cuba’s international medical cooperation; exert pressure on the governments that have requested it and deprive peoples of these health services.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba denounces that, as part of this offensive, the U.S. government has exerted pressure and coercion on the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).
Under the threat of cancelling its financial contribution, the United States, the principal contributor to the PAHO budget, has forced the Secretariat of the organization to accept what is called “an external audit of PAHO’s role in Brazil’s ‘More Doctors‘ program,” which involved the participation of thousands of Cuban professionals, at the express request of the Workers’ Party’s popular government. This program has been the target of to the most flagrant defamation campaign launched by the United States and the current Brazilian government.
The alleged concerns of the United States regarding Cuba’s cooperation, particularly in relation to the ‘More Doctors‘ program, are neither legitimate or worthy of further consideration by PAHO. The ‘More Doctors’ program, which has been evaluated several times previously with positive results, was established by virtue of a tripartite agreement between the Cuban government, the then Brazilian government and PAHO. Thanks to this program, from August 2013 through November 2018, Cuban doctors in Brazil assisted 113,000,359 patients in more than 3,600 municipalities and provided permanent health coverage to 60 million Brazilians. Thanks to this program, primary health care was expanded; access to health care and services increased; health indicators improved and hospital admissions decreased due to the preventive work carried out by Cuban doctors.
The level of satisfaction and acceptance among patients, doctors and the program’s managers was high. According to a survey made by the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), 95 per cent of patients reported that they were pleased or very pleased with the program. Continue reading U.S. government escalates campaign against Cuban international medical cooperation