The Cuban ambassador to Australia H.E. Ariel Lorenzo Rodríguez was received at the headquarters of the Federal Parliament in Canberra by the Minister for Health Greg Hunt, with whom he exchanged matters of bilateral interest.
During the meeting, the senior Cuban diplomat made reference to current potentialities for advancing in the development of joint projects on health and biotechnology, highlighting those medicines, vaccines and therapies produced by Cuba that could be relevant to improve the wellbeing of Australian citizens. For example, he mentioned the therapies and vaccines for the treatment of cancer related diseases, hepatitis B, coronary heart diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes control.
Minister Hunt positively referred to the high level achieved by Cuba in the field of education and health, where the caribbean country is internationally recognized for its universal and free of charge health care system. In the field of biotechnology, he agreed that there are opportunities for bilateral cooperation, especially in those cases of high incidence in Australia such as cases of skin and lung cancer, coronary heart diseases and the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer, that latter of great prevalence in Australian aboriginal communities.