Cuba reasserts willingness to cooperate with the BRICS in the field of health

Speaking Tuesday at the 15th Meeting of Health Ministers of the BRICS in Brazilia, Cuban Minister of Public Health José Angel Portal Miranda reaffirmed his country's willingness to cooperate with the member countries in fields such as vaccine research and development, the fight against infectious diseases, and the joint regulation of medical products.

Mr. Portal remarked that Cuba, which became an associate member of the group in October 2024, joins the BRICS "with deep respect and commitment" and referred to its importance as a driver of dialogue, collective action, and sustainable development in the Global South.

He also recalled in his speech that the achievements of the Cuban pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry has led to the consolidation of research, development, production, and marketing capabilities, which are often active in several BRICS countries thanks to the increasingly stronger alliance among health care, scientific, and production sectors.

The official pointed out that Cuba maintains health-related cooperation ties with 17 members or partners through various agreements that set in relief the island’s commitment to a mutually beneficial collaboration program marked by the service that more than 23,000 Cuban health professionals are providing in 56 nations.

“Cuba is ready to keep building bridges to protect the sacred right of the peoples to a healthy, full, and dignified life”, he said.

He mentioned the public, free and universal nature of the Cuban Health System, focused on the "One Health" concept and successful enough to produce indicators comparable to those of many developed countries.

"What our nation has accomplished confirms that political will, human commitment, and a sense of justice pave the way for progress in health care despite big challenges facing us today, aggravated by the effects of the inhumane economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States government and its arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in the list of nations that supposedly sponsor terrorism," Mr. Portal pointed out.