Cuba advocates regional cooperation for pharmaceutical regulation

Mexico City, Aug 21 (RHC) Cuban Minister of Public Health, José Angel Portal Miranda, called for regional cooperation to overcome the complex and diverse challenges in the health and pharmaceutical fields.

Speaking at the IX Pan-American Conference for the Harmonization of Pharmaceutical Regulation (PARF), the Cuban minister stressed that cooperation is precisely what has been promoted in the 25 years since the creation of this network, which is committed to the mission of guaranteeing access to effective, safe and quality pharmaceutical products.

Minister Portal Miranda explained that what has been experienced in recent years has demonstrated that humanity needs more than ever resilient and robust health systems that ensure everyone's right to health and the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Referring to the Cuban health system, he recalled that Public Health is a right of all people, and it is the responsibility of the State to guarantee access, free and quality care, protection and recovery services.

Its bases are born in the community and are supported by deep concepts of solidarity and universal coverage, he stressed, highlighting other pillars such as the health management put into practice, supported by the access to innovative medicines, the result of the development of the Cuban biopharmaceutical industry.

BioCubaFarma is responsible for the production of 62 percent of the medicines used in the national basic health care system, he said.

This is proof of the development achieved by Cuban science in more than six decades, which has also allowed our industry's laboratories to produce leading products such as Jusvinza, an immunomodulator peptide; HEBERPROT-P, for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, which prevents more than 78 percent of amputations.

Also, CIMAVAX-EGF, a therapeutic vaccine against lung cancer, and NIMOTUZUMAB, used in the treatment of head and neck tumors. nine of the 16 vaccines included in the National Immunization Program are produced in Cuba and protect against 13 diseases.

Several countries in our region, including Mexico, can attest to the effectiveness of many of these products once applied to their populations. In addition, the Cuban vaccine against pneumococcus, which has proven to be safe and effective, was recently approved.

The minister considered it important to recall that in this scenario, during the fight against the pandemic caused by Covid-19, Cuba developed five vaccine candidates, three of them certified as vaccines. This achievement made possible the launching of an unprecedented vaccination campaign, from which more than 98 percent of the vaccinable Cuban population over two years of age was immunized.

He stressed that it continues to be a challenge for his country to maintain the results and indicators achieved in the field of health.

In addition to the devastating consequences brought about by Covid-19, in Cuba we also have to face the intensification of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States government for more than 60 years, to which was added the arbitrary inclusion of our nation in the spurious and unilateral list of alleged State sponsors of terrorism.

These are facts that add multiple tensions to the functioning of the Health System and not only put obstacles to the services we provide to our people, but also to the development of the Cuban biopharmaceutical industry.

But in the face of external constraints, we have learned that the most secure resources we can have are those we can produce ourselves," he said.