Cuban westernmost province receives UNICEF donation

PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba, May 15 (ACN) With the aim of supporting the services of the Maternal and Child Care Program, Pinar del Rio received today a donation made up of basic kits, medicines and medical supplies that can be spent.

The donation comes from the United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF) with financing from the Canadian government and will benefit pregnant women, mothers, children and adolescents in the province most affected by Hurricane Ian, last September 27.

We raised 50,000 Canadian dollars to acquire 20 sets of essential medicines such as analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as basic kits and supplies, said John Geoffrey Gartshore, Canadian ambassador to Cuba.

We estimate that the supplies will reach a total of 22,000 people, as part of a UNICEF strategy to strengthen the Cuban health system, said Alejandra Trocero, UNICEF representative in Cuba.

The Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital and the Abel Santamaria Cuadrado General Teaching Hospital in the province will use the materials to improve medical attention in both institutions.

In the midst of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States against Cuba, these resources are part of the efforts to strengthen the national public health system.

The support of the Canadian government has been remarkable since the passage of Hurricane Ian through the westernmost part of the country to maintain the vitality of the health services, which have been affected by the complex socioeconomic context the nation is going through.

Since 1983, the Maternal and Infant Care Program has been aimed at achieving satisfactory results in the care of pregnant women and children, and is a priority for the Cuban State and government.