World Health Day in Cuba today is a celebration for the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), said the representative of these organizations, Dr. Mario Cruz Peñate.
The specialist defined the date as a space for growth and an opportunity to reflect together on what more can be done together for the benefit of all, according to the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) website.
On the occasion of the anniversary and a new anniversary of the founding of the WHO, Cruz Peñate highlighted the access, gratuity and scope of health services in the largest of the Antilles, where the right to health is a conquest.
He referred how Cuba has the advantage that its Constitution, approved in 2019, specifically Article 72, recognizes public health as an inalienable right of all people, with the State being responsible for guaranteeing that protection and constant recovery of life.
"In each of these areas, PAHO/WHO encourages cooperation between countries, and facilitates the exchange of experiences and good practices, through institutions designated as collaborating centers, and in Cuba we have eight of these," he alluded in his words.
He explained that the slogan for 2024 "My health, my right" is due to the fact that the issue continues to be a challenge in many parts of the world, and even more, it is threatened by the rise of armed conflicts that devastate lives and cause pain, hunger and psychological anguish, in addition to the displacement of thousands of people, affecting the guarantee of the right to health of migrants.
The representative stated that in agreement with the Minsap, five priorities have been defined for PAHO/WHO's work in Cuba, essentially aimed at reducing the impact of non-communicable diseases and their risk factors.
Likewise, disability and mental health problems; to help strengthen the resilience of the health system, under the One Health approach; to favor the process of healthy aging in the country with the preparation and execution of technical cooperation actions that have a life course approach.
Likewise, to strengthen primary care and integrated service networks; and also to promote science, research and innovation for the production of medicines, supplies and medical devices.
The PAHO/WHO representative extended a message of congratulations to the Cuban authorities and health personnel for their daily achievements and feats in safeguarding life, under principles of equity, humanism and solidarity.