By María Josefina Arce.
At the 60th session of the Directing Council of PAHO, Pan American Health Organization, in Washington, the discordant note was once again the United States, determined to attack Cuba's medical collaboration with other nations, recognized and qualified as invaluable by governments and peoples.
Washington insists on its maneuver of presenting this valuable Cuban aid as an example of human trafficking, which is an offense to those who, regardless of distances, customs, ideology and languages, save lives in other latitudes.
Cuban Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal, described as regrettable the intervention of the U.S. representative, through which, he denounced, the United States tried to manipulate the essence of Cuba's international medical cooperation.
The reality is that Cuban professionals have been providing assistance to people who have been victims of natural disasters and complex health situations for decades. The nations of Central America, Haiti and Pakistan, to cite just a few examples, know of the humanism and professionalism of our health workers.
When cholera broke out in Haiti, the Cubans were there, and they were already in that Caribbean nation long before the strong earthquake of 2010. In fact, they were the first to come to the aid of the victims.
In the face of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Cuba was the first nation to respond to the call of the World Health Organization. Our doctors spared no effort to save lives.
We have always been able to count on the Greater Antilles to help other peoples and contribute to raising their health indexes, even under the difficult conditions imposed for more than six decades by the genocidal U.S. blockade.
There are 165 states in which more than 600,000 health workers have provided their services.
And during the COVID 19 pandemic, there was not a moment's hesitation in supporting other peoples. Without neglecting the care of the Cuban population, we reached out to other nations in different latitudes.
Our health professionals worked shoulder to shoulder with their colleagues from other countries in the fight against the disease caused by the new coronavirus that caused millions of deaths worldwide.
Cuba sent 58 medical brigades to 42 nations, including in Europe, such as Italy and the Principality of Andorra.
Attempts by the United States to undermine Cuba's cooperation in health matters have been rejected by numerous peoples, highly grateful for Cuba's assistance, which has always made clear its desire and interest in helping and sharing its progress.
A spirit of solidarity reiterated in his speech at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly by Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel, who affirmed that his country placed its technological and scientific capabilities and human resources at the disposal of all.
