Under the regime of Alexandr Lukashenko, Belarus has delivered 30 tons of powdered milk and nearly four tons of medical supplies to Havana, specifically intended for the William Soler Pediatric University Hospital and its Pediatric Cardiocenter.
The transfer ceremony on November 5 was led by Belarusian ambassador Vitali Barchuk, who emphasized that Belarus could not remain indifferent to Cuba's severe challenges.
The supplies were handed over to the Ministry of Public Health. Tania Margarita Cruz, the First Deputy Minister of Public Health, expressed gratitude for the shipment, calling it a "symbol of humanity amid the difficult circumstances facing the country."
Cruz used the occasion to criticize the U.S. economic embargo against Cuba, highlighting that fuel shortages result in power outages, which in turn compromise the preservation of medicines and the ability to perform surgeries in the nation's hospitals.
This aid arrives at a time when Cuba's healthcare system is experiencing its worst crisis in decades. The survival rate for children and young adults with cancer has dropped from 85% to 65%, a 20 percentage point decline attributed by the government to a shortage of cytostatics.
In October, the president of the Cuban Society of Hematology warned that the survival rate for children with leukemia might fall below 50%, compared to historical levels near 90%.
Since 2025, Minsk has been consistently sending humanitarian aid to Cuba, focusing on essential foodstuffs and medical supplies.
In May 2026, Lukashenko assured Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa that Belarus was prepared to do "everything it could" for Cuba.
By April 2026, Belarus had extended a trade exchange mechanism with Cuba, where Havana provides medicines and biotechnology in return for machinery and medical devices.
In February 2026, the Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged that the Cuban healthcare system was "on the brink of collapse."
Out of the 395 domestically produced medicines on the essential list, 300 were unavailable in October due to raw material shortages. Over 3,000 patients were waiting for chemotherapy in May because of a lack of cytostatics, and the bone marrow transplant program remained halted.
Belarusian Aid to Cuba: Key Questions Answered
What did Belarus send to Cuba in November?
In November, Belarus sent 30 tons of powdered milk and nearly four tons of medical supplies to Havana's children's hospitals.
How has the healthcare crisis affected Cuba's cancer survival rates?
The healthcare crisis has decreased the survival rate for children and young adults with cancer from 85% to 65% due to a shortage of cytostatics.
What trade exchange exists between Belarus and Cuba?
Belarus and Cuba have a trade exchange where Cuba provides medicines and biotechnology in return for machinery and medical devices.