US against its health system, WHO and Cuban doctors

While ministers and other high-ranking officials and academics from different countries and international organizations are currently debating in Havana on public health management models at the global, regional and local levels, and the strengthening of health systems in the post-COVID-19 stage, the World Health Organization (WHO) is forced to cut its budget by 20% for the current year.

Since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, the president himself announced the withdrawal of the United States from the WHO and decided to freeze foreign aid, including important programs to improve healthcare around the globe.

At the international level, this has caused deep concern among experts, as the United States is the leading contributor of funds to the institution, with some 1.3 billion euros per year, around 20%-30% of the total budget.

In addition, the head of the White House has announced major cuts in U.S. health entities such as the FDA drug agency, the CDC Center for Disease Control and the NIH National Institutes of Health.

In contrast, the April 21-25 celebration in Havana of the 5th Cuba-Health 2025 International Convention and its associated events: the 16th Health for All Trade Fair and the 2nd Medical Tourism and Wellness Fair, reflect the Caribbean island's commitment to this important sector, sustainability and international collaboration.

Because in its attempt to undermine and discredit the Cuban Revolution, Washington has unleashed a fierce campaign against medical collaboration or the export of professional services, despite the fact that it has saved millions of lives around the world and contributed to the training of doctors, nurses and technicians.

As stated in the most recent podcast Desde La Presidencia, hosted by the President of the Republic, Miguel Diaz-Canel, this desperate attempt to block Cuban cooperation has two clear purposes.

One is to close any means of income access to the country, even in such a noble and necessary activity for other nations as health services, and the other reason is political and ideological: they want to put an end to Cuba's example.

In the aforementioned radio-television program, Dr. Jose Angel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health, commented that the U.S. government is bothered, in the first place, by the international recognition of Cuban collaborators, for what they have managed to transmit to the world in terms of solidarity, and in achieving true health for the people.

Upon his arrival in Havana to participate in the convention, Michael Deville, head of Health of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, declared that Cuban doctors have served for more than 20 years in areas of difficult access in his nation, which presents difficulties with coverage in the communities.

"The altruism that characterizes this (Cuban) health professional, unconditional and willing to give his life for his patient, constitutes a fundamental element that our enemies are very much afraid of. They know us so well that they have the task of inventing fallacies in order to discredit something about which they themselves have clarity", said a young doctor via video conference from Tegucigalpa.

He is Dr. Luther Castillo Harry, Secretary of State in the Office of Science and Technology of the Republic of Honduras, who said that in March 1999 he arrived here full of dreams, committed to the sad reality of his community (Garifuna) and his country, and years later he graduated with honors, in the first graduation of the Latin American School of Medicine.

Precisely, Castillo Harry is taking part in the 5th Cuba-Health 2025 International Convention, where he undoubtedly has a lot to say on the subject.
According to Dr. Jose Angel Portal Miranda, since May 1963, the date that marks the official start of Cuban medical collaboration by Algeria, more than 600,000 cooperants have provided their services in 165 nations.

At present, a figure that exceeds 24,000 offer their humanism and solidarity in 56 countries, despite the campaigns of hatred and lies promoted on the subject by the Donald Trump administration, the same one that withdrew the presence of the United States from the WHO, drastically cut foreign aid and reduced the health budget for its own population.