The World Health Organization has awarded Cuba for maintaining its historic status as a country free of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. This recognition, presented by its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reaffirms an exceptional achievement in public health. Cuba, which in 2015 became the first nation in the world to reach this milestone, continues to demonstrate that universal health coverage, firm political commitment, and robust primary care are fundamental pillars for protecting pregnant women and their children. With this result, the country remains among the group of some twenty nations and territories that guarantee the elimination of these diseases in newborns, a feat achieved through decades of dedication by our health professionals, amidst the worst economic blockade ever suffered by any nation. I always wonder how much more we could do for our people and for the world, without the noose of the genocidal blockade around our necks.
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba