Women scientists in Cuba.

Havana, February 11 (RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez today praised Cuban women's leading role in the scientific sector on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

The head of Cuban diplomacy highlighted that they represent 69.6 percent of people working in public health, 53.5 percent of the Science, Innovation, and Technology system in general, and 48 percent of scientists.

He added on Twitter that this day, promoted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, 'pursues to alert and eliminate the gender gap in this field.'

This year the date is dedicated to women scientists, who have led the fight against Covid-19 in the world.

In the Caribbean nation, they are also at the forefront, in a country with more than 45 thousand women working in different branches of the sector and are the protagonists of important milestones.

In this sense, the two academics chosen as part of the eight Cubans who participated in the International Panel of experts as an Advisory Group for the confrontation of Covid-19 in the world stand out.

They are the clinical director of the Center for Molecular Immunology, Tania Crombet, and the head of research and diagnosis at the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK), Guadalupe Guzmán.

Other names of women who excel in Cuban sciences are Rosa Elena Simeón, who led the fight against African swine fever, and Concepción Campa, leader of the research to develop the only vaccine with proven efficacy against meningitis B and C.

These researchers are joined by Beatriz Marcheco, from the Center for Medical Genetics; Martha Ana Castro, from the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine; and Mayra Hernández, from the Institute of Materials Science and Technology.

All three received in 2017 the Sofia Kovalievskaia Award, conferred by the Foundation, named after the celebrated 19th-century Russian scientist and feminist.