Dialogue on the effects of U.S. blockade on health care

 HAVANA, Cuba, May 3 (ACN) José Angel Portal Miranda, Cuba's Minister of Public Health, and Alena Douhan, UN Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, met Wednesday to discuss the impact of the U.S. blockade on Cuba’s health care system.

The Cuban minister stressed that the health sector is one of the most affected by the said policy, which brings pressure to bear on international banks and prevents the acquisition of medical supplies and equipment, forcing Cuba to purchase them at a much higher price in distant markets and through third parties. He also remarked that the U.S. blockade hindered the arrival of medical donations and materials for the research, production and testing of Cuban COVID-19 vaccines when the pandemic was at its height in 2021.

On her end, Ms. Douhan—who visited Cuba at the invitation of the University of Havana—pointed out the importance of the meeting to understand the implications of the said coercive measures for the the Cuban health system.

The U.N. official will also attend the conference Academic Dialogue on the Impact of Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights in Cuba on Thursday and hold meetings to discuss the said subject with Cuban authorities and institutions.