Havana, October 27 (RHC)-- Cuba's national health system will benefit from a project amounting to almost three million dollars to strengthen the health capacity to respond to Covid-19.

According to an announcement on Wednesday, the government of Japan and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) will materialize the initiative, aligned with the Cuban authorities' national response plan for the control and containment of Covid-19, as a long-term investment aimed at improving health services to the population.

Signing the document evidencing the donation were Japan's ambassador to Cuba, Kenji Hirata, and UNICEF representative Brandao Gomes, who stressed that this cooperation would also support the island's vaccination campaign against Covid-19 and community health education.

The project Strengthening health capacity for the Covid-19 crisis responds to the international agency's emergency response plan for the health sector, in line with the Cuban government's priorities in the fight against the pandemic.

It also seeks to reinforce the cold chain for the quality delivery of vaccines and their future use, in addition to the distribution of syringes.

The amount donated includes equipment and supplies for immunization, diagnosis, and timely care of the complications caused by the disease, the expansion of the technical capacities of health professionals in vaccination, maternal and child health, and hygienic-sanitary measures.

For the Japanese diplomat, this is a clear message of solidarity with the Cuban people in their heroic fight against the pandemic, and a sign of the continuity of his country's cooperation with the health system of the Caribbean island.

Likewise, the UNICEF representative pointed out that the project will benefit vaccination centers in seven provinces, which will help more than six and a half million people. At the same time, it will also benefit the mother and child services of 13 hospitals, which include more than 375 thousand girls and boys and close to 19 thousand pregnant women.

Authorities from the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment expressed their gratitude for the joint donation from Japan and UNICEF and highlighted the country's efforts to have 70 percent of the population fully vaccinated against Covid-19.