• Submitted by: Juana
• Havana
• United States
• Health and Medicine
• 07 / 03 / 2015

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Roberto Morales Ojeda, Health Minister of Cuba, said on Wednesday in Washington that Cuba hopes for greater collaboration with the United States in the scientific and healthcare sector, following the restoration of diplomatic relations announced by both governments.
Ojeda considers that this new scenario "will allow to exchange information and experiences" on health and science between the two countries, but he recalled that only the lifting of the economic and trade embargo, which depends on the US Congress, will allow the entry into Cuba of medical products and technology not available until now.
The Cuban minister spoke at a conference at the National Press Club in Washington, in the framework of his visit this week to the US capital.
"The effect that the economic and trade embargo has generated has been in excess of 60,000 million dollars, unfortunately we cannot estimate the damage to health and the suffering caused to the citizens," Ojeda said.
"Therefore, we believe that the restoration of relations and the lifting of the embargo should allow in the future the acquisition of technology and products that today cannot reach our country," he added.
Cuba became yesterday the first country in the world to receive certification from WHO for eliminating the transmission of AIDS virus (HIV) and syphilis from mother to child.

source: www.cibercuba.com