NAM Health Ministers Agreed on Declaration in Support of Cuba

NAM Health Ministers Agreed on Declaration in Support of Cuba

The Health Ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) approved a declaration of support and solidarity with Cuba today in the face of the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States government, a hostile policy that since last January 29 has mutated into a more aggressive phase: an energy blockade.

Within the context of the 79th World Health Assembly, held this week in Geneva, the ministers expressed concern over the consequences of the U.S. siege on the Cuban national health system, which has been aggravated since last January by the fuel blockade.

They pointed out that the right to health must not be violated by unilateral coercive measures, nor by the use of energy as an instrument of pressure.

According to the document, published on the official website of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the shortages of medicines, reagents, vaccines, and medical equipment resulting from these actions impact mortality, life expectancy, and the prevalence of diseases and disabilities among the population.

The ministers urged the World Health Organization to record the health effects of the U.S. blockade and to promote humanitarian exemptions to protect the Cuban health system.

"We reaffirm our solidarity with the Cuban people and with their health professionals, who continue to work under extreme conditions to sustain essential services," concluded the declaration of the NAM, which brings together 120 countries from all continents.

The declaration was registered as an official document of the Assembly, which brings together the 194 Member States of the World Health Organization, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.