UNICEF in Cuba: 30 years of contributions to child protection

HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 28 (ACN) The lighthouse of the Tres Reyes del Morro Castle, an emblematic site of Havana's capital, lit up blue on Sunday in honor of the 33rd anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the three decades of presence in Cuba of the United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF).

Through an intersectoral approach, the agency contributed during these years to the protection of children's rights from maternal and child, pediatric and adolescent health, inclusive education, respectful upbringing, water, sanitation and hygiene and emergency preparedness and response.

Alejandra Trossero, UNICEF representative in Cuba, told the Cuban News Agency that the organization began to support the country in the 1960s, mainly in immunization and maternal and child health, but it was not until November 27, 1992 that it opened its office on the island.
Health: priority to ensure the well-being of children and adolescents





Reducing maternal and infant mortality is a priority for the Caribbean nation and in this effort UNICEF accompanies the National Health System, in order to maintain the results that place the territory among those with the lowest mortality rate in the region, said Trossero, who has more than 20 years of professional experience in the areas of public health, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), adolescent development and children's rights.

She pointed out that Cuba produces 11 vaccines for the national immunization scheme aimed at the prevention of 13 diseases, but since it does not manufacture the MMR or triple viral vaccine (against mumps, rubella and measles), the organization has been delivering the necessary doses for the vaccination of children since 2000.

The representative of the international organization explained that they have a cooperation program with the Cuban Government and at this moment they are in the 2020-2024 cycle, which started with the COVID-19 and required a new work approach.

In 2021 at the peak of the delta variant, UNICEF donated an oxygen plant, protection materials for health personnel, medical supplies and obtained funding from the government of Japan to strengthen the cold chain for vaccination, as well as for the acquisition of equipment and training of health personnel in the areas of maternal and child care, children and adolescents and the immunization program.

Other lines of work are related to the prevention of communicable diseases in adolescents, including HIV/AIDS, the promotion of healthy lifestyles to avoid obesity at an early age, and the reduction of traffic accidents, a major cause of death between 9 and 18 years of age.

Trossero commented that the implementation of human milk banks is one of the strategies followed to promote breastfeeding, which is why they contributed to equip the 14 existing in the country.

Exclusive breastfeeding is the best thing a child can have in the first six months of life and it is true that many mothers for different reasons cannot breastfeed their children and milk banks are a very good option for these babies, she insisted.

Inclusive education and respectful parenting: keys to child protection


Cuba was one of the first countries in Latin America to create special schools for children with disabilities, but that is a movement that has evolved over time and currently advocates that parents have the opportunity to incorporate their children in regular education, the expert specified.

In this sense, UNICEF supports the Ministry of Education ( MINED) and offers training and coaching to teachers, and also with this inclusive approach they seek to change the perception of vocational schools, to eliminate the stigmas that exist in society and make them attractive to adolescents.

Trossero pointed out that together with the Ministry of Education, they are reviewing the curricula in order to link them more closely to local management and ensure that the skills taught there are in line with the needs of the municipality; we have several interesting experiences in Havana and we hope to repeat them in future years, she added.

Another of the commitments is to expand the installation of children's centers in labor centers, both in state and private institutions, since the children's daycare centers do not meet the demand of the population and this modality encourages the incorporation of women into the labor market.

Regarding the protection of children, UNICEF defends a positive upbringing, without violent patterns, so they collaborate with families, justice operators, government entities, organizations and the Centro a+ Espacios Adolescentes in expanding this line of work in which they have the Midete campaign, focused on the prevention of violence at an early age.

The representative of the international organization explained that they accompany the government in the review of laws to ensure that the new regulations are in line with the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Cuba is a signatory.

UNICEF: an agency to support children in emergencies

UNICEF began 75 years ago as an agency to support children in emergency situations, a legacy that continues and about which we have a lot of experience. We will continue helping the nation every time a catastrophe occurs, as we did after the explosion at the Saratoga hotel last May and the fire at the Matanzas supertanker base (August), she said.



After Hurricane Ian hit Pinar del Rio, the most recent natural disaster to affect the country (September), the United Nations Children's Fund mobilized resources to put waterproofing roofs on schools and provide education, recreation and early childhood kits in order to quickly resume the learning process and as part of the psycho-emotional support to children.

One of the pillars defended since the establishment of the office in Cuba was water, sanitation and hygiene as a determining element to ensure the health and welfare of children and the rest of the population, which was limited during the weather event.

Trossero commented that with Ian they helped in the distribution of water storage tanks, in the chlorination of the precious liquid, provided more than 40 pumps to fill cisterns and joined forces with other organizations to acquire and deliver a water treatment plant.

As part of disaster risk reduction, schools in 52 municipalities identified as multi-hazard areas are carrying out actions to teach children what to do in an emergency situation and to promote resilience at the community level through links with local authorities.

We bring some technical expertise and combine it with the country's experience, and we must recognize that Cuba has a very high installed capacity in emergency response, she valued, while recognizing the importance of being prepared.

For 30 years UNICEF has been collaborating permanently with national institutions to guarantee the rights and equal development opportunities of children and adolescents, and in the context of the updating of the Cuban economic model, it supports the government to sustain the achievements reached and face new challenges, purposes that the organization will continue to fulfill in favor of children.