| WHITE BOOK 2006 >> THIRD PART >>CHAPTER 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CHAPTER 8: CUBA SHARES THE FRUITS OF ITS EFFORTS AND RESOURCES WITH OTHER PEOPLES OF THE WORLD, STRIVING TO MAKE THE PRINCIPLE OF “ALL HUMAN RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE” A REALITY Cuba undertook its first internationalist effort, the sending of a medical brigade to Algeria, a mere four years after the triumph of the Revolution in January 1959. From 1963 to 2004, some 223,280 civilian Cuban experts, working in the most varied economic and social spheres, have taken part in cooperation missions abroad. The principle of solidarity, at both the national and international level, constitutes one of the main pillars of every Cuban’s education and has been a guiding principle of Cuba’s revolutionary praxis. Begun on 10 October 1868, Cuba’s revolutionary struggle saw the support, decisive participation and solidarity of heroes from many different lands, including such lofty figures as Máximo Gómez and Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (better known as “Che”). Cubans, too, answered the call of duty and took their places on the front lines, next to other peoples of the world, in just battles like that of the Spanish people against fascism and of several African peoples against colonialism and the odious apartheid regime. Some of Cuba’s best sons spilt their blood in these lands in truly altruistic acts of solidarity. Its fallen martyrs, the friendship of the men and women of these countries and the pride of having done its duty is all Cuba has ever received in return. Cuba did not go to these countries to ask for anything, nor would it have ever accepted anything, not even one right to own one single resource in any of these countries. That is the very essence of the Cuban people’s internationalist philosophy: to share what one has and to not ask for anything in return. For Cuba, a developing, blockaded country that has no excess of resources, that is the guiding principle of its solidarity and international cooperation: to share what we have with those who need it most, without asking for any kind of reward. Today, Cuba’s eminently civil forms of international cooperation encompass many different economic and social spheres. Until March 2006, 38,865 health, sport and education sector professionals are offering their cooperation services in 110 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and North America. Of these, 29 233 collaborators belong the the health sector, representing 75.2% of the total. Of these, 25 100 professionals and technicians are at work in 12 countries of Latin America and 1 011 in 14 nations of the Caribbean. Other sectors making up the illustrious collaborative participation are in the sports field, with 7 352 collaborators, and in education, with 513 specialists from the Ministry of Education. With the assistance of these specialists, more than 800 projects are being executed in South nations. The altruistic humanism of Cuban internationalism and solidarity towards the world’s neediest are values that are incomprehensible for those who would call themselves the world’s human rights champions, particularly for the war-mongering elites that today wield power in the White House. To Washington’s persistent and obstinate refusal to honor the commitments it has contracted, at the international level, in connection to Official Aid for Development, or to its inability to provide medical services for 44 million US citizens, we can add the forlornness and abandonment that hundreds of thousands of people of modest means painfully experienced when hurricane Katrina lashed several southern US states. The basic principles that guide Cuba’s international cooperation efforts include: • Full respect towards the priorities established by receiving countries in terms of cooperation projects. II. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DEVELOPMENT Cuba has cooperation agreements with 155 countries, with which it has coordinated over 120 joint commissions, a bilateral governmental mechanism that allows the parties to periodically evaluate what progress is being made within different programs and enter into new agreements. Countries that have benefited from Cuban technical assistance • 17 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama). • 22 Caribbean countries or territories (Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Aruba, Bonaire, Belize, Curacao, Dominica, Granada, Guadalupe, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Martinique, Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Puerto Rico). • 2 countries in North America (Canada and the United States). • 33 African countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea Conakry, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Algeria, Botswana, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Mali, Seychelles, Uganda, Burundi, Chad, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Lesotho, Rwanda, SADR, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Congo, Djibouti). • 16 European countries (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Poland, Ukraine). • 18 Asian and Middle Eastern countries (Azerbaijan, China, Cambodia, India, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, New Zealand, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam, East Timor, Nauru, Yemen). Cooperation with Latin American countries • Total collaborators abroad: 33 568 coming from 10 organisms in 17 countries, of these 74.7% are from the health sector (25 100 collaborators) • Other sectors with collaborators abroad: National Institute of Physical Education and Recreation (INDER): 7182, Ministry of Education (MINED): 409, Ministry of Agriculture: 213, Ministry for Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration: 171, Ministry ofr Sugar: 159, Ministry of Higher Education (MES): 143, Ministry of Culture (MINCULT): 113, Ministry of Iron and Steel Industry: 39 and Ministry of Construction: 39. • Total collaborators in Health: 25 100, of these 16 772 doctors (66.8%) in 12 countries. • Comprehensive Health Programme (CHP): 951 collaborators, with 666 doctors (70%) in 4 countries. In Guatemala this includes 125 interns and 153 residents and in Honduras : 70 interns. • Special Programme Venezuela: 23 415 collaborators, with 15 420 doctors (65.9%). • “Henry Reeve” Internationalist Contingent in Bolivia: 602 collaborators, with 601 doctors (99.8%) • Operation Miracle: 115 collaborators, with 80 doctors in 7 countries. • Historical graduates: 8718 young people from 18 countries, of these 3815 at middle level and 4903 at higher level, of these 1266 at ELAM and those 504 returning for their MGI specialty • Scholarship students currently in Cuba: 19 036 from 17 countries, of these 17 204 are medical students (90.4%) MINSAP: 17 495 FROM 17 countries • Medicine: 17 204 from 17 countries MINED: 103 from 11 countries A total of 1266 young people from 15 countries will graduate as doctors from this year’s course, of them 1229 from ELAM. The Literacy programme will take place in 9 countries: Venezuela with 2 610 845 learning to read and write, Paraguay: 5 620, Argentina: 4 330, Mexico: 118 835, Ecuador: 8 893, Peru: 97, Honduras: 442 and Nicaragua: 1 581. Beginning in Brazil. Venezuelan social workers: 5999, accompanied by 179 cadres of the Francisco Miranda Front and also 36 251 graduated from 45-day courses. III. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE In March 2006, there were 29,223 Cuban collaborators in the health sector in 68 countries. In response to the severe damage caused by hurricanes George and Mitch in 1998, a disaster which profoundly affected the economies of Central American and Caribbean countries and also resulted in the irreparable loss of thousands of lives, Cuba conceived a Comprehensive Health Program (CHP), a cooperation program that sends brigades of doctors and paramedics to the most severely affected and remote areas in these countries. 3,189 Cuban health professionals offer medical services in 29 countries within the framework of the CHP. The guiding principles of the CHP are: a. Health professionals and technicians are sent to and remain in the affected country for as long as they are needed, working primarily in primary care efforts, entirely free of charge. Areas of cooperation of the CHP: • Health services Scope of the CHP: Currently, the program is being implemented in 29 countries: • 6 Latin American and Caribbean countries: Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Paraguay, Bolivia and Haiti. The most important results obtained through these programmes include: • 67,625,807 patients have been looked alter by our doctors. IV. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA AND CUBA IN THE SPHERE OF HEALTH Since the beginning of 2003, a great many actions have been undertaken to strengthen bilateral cooperation in different sectors, mainly in the areas of health, sports, agriculture and education. From 30 November 2000 to 30 April 2005, more than 15,000 Venezuelan patients received specialized medical attention in Cuba. They came accompanied by their relatives totaling more than 10 thousand. Many of the latter were also treated in Cuba. More than 900 Venezuelan students are now studying in Cuban universities and secondary schools, being trained as social workers. Cuba’s Medical Brigade in Venezuela More than 22 thousand Cuban health professionals are today providing medical services in 24 states in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, scattered across 348 municipalities. Main results • Nearly 185 million medical consultations have been carried out. Special Medical Cooperation Programs in Venezuela 1. Opening of 600 Comprehensive Diagnostic Centers, 600 Full Rehabilitation Wards and 35 High Technology Centers. a. Cuba continues to contribute to these plans with thousands of doctors and other health workers throughout Venezuela. This contingent was created in August 2005 by the Cuban government. Its creation responded to the need for a specialized and trained forced capable of traveling to any part of the world to offer medical attention to the victims of natural disasters and large-scale epidemics, ever more frequent and destructive phenomena. The contingent was initially made up of 729 men and 857 women, including: • 1,097 specialists in Comprehensive General Medicine; of these, more than 600 are completing different Masters Programs in medical sciences. The average age of contingent members was 32 years; the immense majority had not been born at the time of the triumph of the Revolution. The average number of years of professional experience was no less than 10 years. Of these: • 699 doctors have taken part in one or more international missions in 43 countries, some in three; These health professionals have been trained and are ready to travel to any part of the world where they are needed, at the shortest notice. For their work, they have been provided with two backpacks, each of which carries 12 kilograms of the materials needed to address, in the field, all problems related to dehydration, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and infections in any part of the body (lungs, bones, skin, ear, urinary tract, reproductive system, digestive system). They also carry medication to alleviate pain and vomiting and reduce fevers, for the immediate care of patients suffering a cardiac complication, allergies of any kind, the treatment of bronchial asthma and other similar complications - 40 products proven to work efficiently in emergency cases. The first three missions carried out by this contingent were in Guatemala, Pakistan and Bolivia. Providing a response to emergency situations, 3,854 collaborators participated, 688 of which went to Guatemala, 2,564 to Pakistan and 602 to Bolivia. The contingent’s first mission was that of providing assistance to the more than 300 thousand victims of Hurricane Stan, which lashed Guatemala in October 2005. Six hundred eighty-eight doctors of the Henry Reeve Brigade joined the medical doctors who were already stationed there. The emergency brigade worked in 11 of the 22 departments in the country. Cuban doctors worked with a population of more than 500 thousand inhabitants. Cuba sent 34 tons of medication, 6.6 tons of spherical bacillus, 40 backpacks and 32 sprayers for this purpose. Mission in Pakistan The second mission undertaken by this army of doctors who fight for life and health was the emergency medical assistance given the victims of the earthquake that devastated the north of Pakistan on 8 October 2005. Conditions resulting from the earthquake: • material losses estimated at US $ 5,000.
RESULTS OF THE WORK OF THE BRIGADE • 2,564 collaborators traveled to Pakistan after the earthquake, 1,463 doctors (57%) and 835 collaborators remained until March 2006, 394 of them doctors In agreement with the Pakistani government, our brigade has begun its process of returning home and all the hospitals and equipment that they worked with have been turned over to the local authorities. This includes general surgical and orthopaedic instruments, clinical labs, anaesthesia machines, intensive therapy equipment, X-ray, ultrasound, various physiotherapy equipment, two 60 and 25 kva generators for each of the hospitals, etc. By April 27, 2006, 25 hospitals were handed over to the Pakistani Armed Forces and 1,729 personnel have flown home on 9 flights. A selection process for 1,000 young Pakistanis who will begin their medical studies in Cuba has already begun. In addition of medical attention, the Henry Reeve contingent has recently begun to offer a practical training program to Pakistani students completing their medical studies. These students are receiving training in 3 CCFHs and other institutions where our medical brigades offer services. Cuban health professionals work in 5 Pakistani provinces, in a total of 32 hospitals, 30 of which have been donated by Cuba and 2 which are part of the country’s hospital infrastructure and have been fitted with additional equipment. A total of 3,525,466 inhabitants are covered. In response to the intense rains which fell on Bolivia in February 2006, 140 members of the Henry Reeve Brigade traveled to that country, taking more than 15 tons of medications with them. Cuban medical assistance in cases of natural disasters: background Two emergency brigades were sent abroad by Cuba in 2005, one to Sri Lanka and the other to Indonesia. Both were tasked with alleviating the damage caused in these countries by the tsunami that hit their coasts in December 2004. The brigade that traveled to Indonesia was made of 23 doctors, accompanied by a modest contribution of 9 tons of medications and medical and sanitary equipment. Another brigade left for Guyana in February 2005, with a total of 40 members. I. OPERATION MIRACLE Background According to World Health Organization estimates, there are 50 million blind people in the world today, of whom more than a 1.5 million are children under the age of 16. In countries with poor economies and limited health services, this condition affects 1% of the population. In Third World countries, the main causes of blindness are cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, infectious diseases such as trachoma and onchocerciasis and vitamin A deficiency. Other ophthalmologic afflictions such as pterygium, palpebral ptosis and strabismus have high incidence rates among child and adult populations. If cataracts, the preventable cause of more than 50% of cases of blindness in the world, are to be gradually eliminated as an ophthalmologic condition, between 2000 and 4000 surgical operations for every 1 million people must be performed annually. Given limited access to medical services and the high costs of surgical procedures, these are indices that only highly-developed countries report today. 15% of cases of blindness in the world are caused by glaucoma. Between 1 and 2% of the world’s population suffers from this illness, which is twice as common in black populations. 10% of glaucoma cases results in blindness and most often requires filtration surgery or laser trabeculoplasty. Owing to the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus around the world, diabetic retinopathy has become another common, preventable cause of blindness. Between 2 and 3% of the world’s population suffers from diabetes and 20% of these cases develop proliferating retinopathies. Panphotocoagulation has proven a very effective method for preventing blindness in these patients. On 5 July 2004, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro and President Hugo Chávez agreed to develop a program of cooperation between Cuba and Venezuela aimed at offering assistance to patients suffering from ocular afflictions, especially cataracts. The project began in Venezuela where they had already operated on 189 338 patients and today the programme has grown to include 23 countries, 14 of which are Caribbean (15 805 patients) and 9 are Latin American (18 666 patients). Since 2004 until May 8, 2006, 280 800 patients have been operated on, including 56 991 Cubans. Components of the operation • Medical – Surgical Care in Cuba Medical and surgical care in Cuba This stage is made up of the diagnoses, transportation, room and board, surgical treatment, recovery and post-operation check-up phases and optometry. In coordination with national, regional and local public health authorities and other institutions who aid in or offer assistance to the Operation, teams of Cuban ophthalmologists conduct medical examinations throughout the countries where the program operates to identify patients suffering from visual impairments that can be cured through surgical procedures Cuba specializes in. The treatment offered through the Operation is provided to all citizens without exception, but those living in remote areas and people of low income are prioritized. All medical services, air transportation, lodging, food provided, local transportation in Cuba and post-operation check-ups are entirely free of charge for patients and their governments. Each group travels with accompanying persons, which could be individuals, in cases of patients with disabilities or of an advanced age, or social workers who look after entire groups. Following a preliminary medical exam and once their travel documents are in order, the patients travel to Cuba. The date and time of travel depends on the availability of planes. Upon arrival in Cuba, the patients are lodged in facilities that have been furnished to guarantee a comfortable stay and to meet all their needs, mainly at tourist centres. Immediately, they undergo a medical examination to determine their general physical state and to whether they can undergo surgery. In cases where patients present conditions which disqualifies them for an immediate operation, such as high blood pressure or diabetic crises, they are admitted into hospitals where they receive treatment until they are in a condition to be operated on. Following the operation, patients remain in Cuba for an average convalescence period of 1 week, thus making their total stay one of between 7 to 10 days, depending upon the speed of recovery and the availability of flights back to their own countries. In cases where the patient must be stabilized before the operation, the stay in Cuba may be longer than the average. Set up and furnishing of ophthalmologic diagnostic centres Operation Miracle would not be complete without the training of qualified Cuban personnel for diagnostics and treatment of conditions affecting the sight in all parts of the country, including isolated locations and areas inhabited by low income groups. OPHTHALMOLOGIC OPERATIONS CONDUCTED AS PART OF OPERATION MIRACLE FROM ITS INCEPTION IN 2004 UNTIL MARCH 2006
VII. SOUTH – SOUTH COOPERATION PROGRAM At the G77 and China Summit held in Havana, the Cuban government responded to the initiative put forth by the presidents of the republics of Nigeria and Libya by joining the South – South Cooperation program as a donor country and offering health professionals to work in the African continent as part of this program. On that occasion, the heads of state of Nigeria, Algeria, Libya and Botswana offered financial donations. At the meeting, all parties agreed to mobilize a total of 406 health workers, with Cuba contributing 242 workers. The first financial contributions have already been made by donor countries and the first deposits have been made at the Bank of Geneva, in Switzerland. The Program identified 6 countries in the African continent as the first recipients of aid, of which Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Sierra Leone were selected to begin the mobilization of personnel during the first phase. Distribution of health workers of donor countries
Currently, 159 Cuban health professionals work in the listed countries. Of them, 77.9 % are doctors who provide medical services to more than 14 million people. To date, numerous actions have been undertaken in the health field.
• 1,250,000 patients have been treated. Thanks to the presence of Cuban doctors and the work of Libyan and Nigerian health professionals, nearly 50,000 lives in urgent need of medical attention have been saved. Impact on health services • Medical services are guaranteed at 7 national, 13 regional 39 district and 3 prefecture hospitals. Through this program, Burkina Faso has received financing equivalent to $ 350,000, 200,000 in medications and the rest in medical equipment. Sierra Leone During his visit to Cuba from 15 to 19 April 2005, the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone H.E. Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and President Fidel Castro agreed to: • Expand Cuba’s cooperation efforts, within the framework of the South - South Program. VIII. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA. THE LATIN AMERICAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE (ELAM) Since 1961, 45 352 young people from 129 countries have graduated in Cuba, of these 30 109 (66.4%) from sub Saharan Africa and 8 718 from Latin America (19.2%). Today, there are 25 596 young people from 120 countries studying in Cuba, of these 20 325 (79.4%) are studying medicine. • ELAM: 9605 Other professions (Dentistry, Nursing, Health Technology): 533 Future graduation In this year’s course, a total of 1733 young people will graduate as doctors, coming from 56 countries, 1501 of them having studied at ELAM. At the present time, 536 young people are being trained in 4 nations of sub Saharan Africa and one in Asia (Timor Leste). In Gambia 99 are being trained, in Equatorial Guinea: 182, in Eritrea: 104, in Guinea Bissau: 90 and in Timor Leste: 61. Latin American school of medicine (ELAM) The Latin American School of Medical Sciences (ELAM) was inaugurated in 1999. It was conceived to guarantee the sustainability of the Comprehensive Health Program in countries where Cuban medical assistance was offered, through the free training of human resources, mostly young people who, following six years of study, return to their communities to contribute to the sustainability of their health systems. Informed by a profoundly humanist vision and by principles of solidarity, this wide-reaching scientific and pedagogic institution today welcomes students from 24 countries, 19 of them in Latin America, 4 in Africa and one in North America: the United States. The school’s mission is to train general practitioners specialized in primary health care, professionals who are highly qualified from a scientific point of view and are imbued with humanistic ethic of solidarity, capable of practicing in their communities, addressing the needs of the region to impel sustainable human development. These young students come, for the most part, from the poorest sectors of their societies and have different ethnic, educational and cultural backgrounds. All pursue their studies in an atmosphere of friendship and fraternity. A total of 1,500 students enroll in the school each year, for a total of some 10,000 students in different years of the program, studying at the 21 medical faculties in the country. In the last course, the first 1 610 young people graduated from ELAM; a total of 554 (37.0%) of them have returned to Cuba to take the specialty of General Comprehensive Medicine; another 153 are studying in Guatemala together with the Cuban medical brigade, 98 are doing the same in Haiti, 51 in Venezuela and 25 in Bolivia to a total of 881. On entering the Latin American School of Medicine, students who do not speak Spanish receive an intensive semester-long Spanish course. All students take pre-medical courses designed to prepare them for the Basic Sciences program, taught during the first two years at the school’s main campus. Upon finishing this program, students go on to pursue their medical studies in the medical faculties around the country. The students complete their studies at the end of the sixth year, following an internship which concludes with a state theoretical and practical exam. Those who pass the exam receive the degree of Medical Doctor. Modern laboratories and audio labs, equipped with new information and communication technologies, have been made available to the school to enhance the teaching process, in accordance with the aims of the study program. Many institutions around the country contribute to the work of the school and these are systematically accredited, as is the evaluation and certification process to determine the pedagogic and scientific category of the school's professors. Currently, the school has an enrollment of more than 12 thousand students from 27 different countries, representing more than 100 ethnic groups. The first 1,610 students graduated from the school in 2005. These students have undertaken to return to their countries of origin to practice there. Other hundreds of young people from the Caribbean and Africa are also pursuing medical studies in Cuba. Enrolled in the same program, in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Santiago de Cuba, 727 young people from Haiti, Mali and Djibouti are currently studying medicine. A new program for the training of medical students now complements the efforts of the Latin American School of Medical Sciences. Currently, 6,967 students from 7 countries are involved in this program. IX. CUBA’S PROPOSAL FOR THE STRUGGLE AGAINST HIV/AIDS For African countries Backed by our experience in the epidemiological control of HIV/AIDS, in view of the existence, in Cuba, of the highly qualified, profoundly humanistic professionals needed to undertake cooperation efforts in this area and in response to the call made by the United Nations to create a global fund to aid in the struggle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide, on 25 June 2001, during the Extraordinary Period of Sessions of the UN General Assembly held in New York from 25 to 27 June that year, our government proposed a program of cooperation with Africa aimed at providing: • 4,000 doctors and health professionals. • The Cuban professors needed to create 20 faculties of medicine, who would train 1,000 doctors each year in countries with the most needs. • The doctors, pedagogues, psychologists and other specialists required to offer advice and assist in campaigns aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS and other diseases. • The equipment and diagnostic kits needed to impel basic prevention programs. • Anti-retroviral treatment for 30, 000 patients. For CARICOM At the Summit Meeting of Caribbean Heads of State held in Havana on 8 December 2002 which celebrated 30 years of diplomatic relations between Cuba and CARICOM countries, Cuba proposed a program to aid the already existing regional strategy undertaken by the Caribbean to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. This program consisted in: 1. Contributing to the training of human resources through the creation of a center for the training of nursing technicians, specifically trained in the care of patients with HIV/AIDS in CARICOM member countries. These centers can train up to 100 young people a year. 2. Offer 50 yearly scholarships, for a period of three years, so that Caribbean health professionals can obtain scientific degrees through Masters and diploma programs. These courses will be offered at the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine, the National Center for Information on and the Prevention of HIV/AIDS and the National Institute for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, institutions with internationally prestigious scientific and research capacities. 3. The Cuban government is willing to send, to any Caribbean country who requests this aid, the professionals and experts needed to work with the country's government and the pertinent institutions and to offer advice and technical assistance in support of national programs that combat HIV/AIDS. 4. Cuba makes the generic anti-retroviral pharmaceuticals produced by its medical and pharmaceutical industry available to Caribbean countries in support to this initiative. 5. Cuba reiterated its offer to contribute with no less than 30 % of the value of the diagnostic equipment and kits produced in the country to set up the SUMA laboratories which facilitate diagnostic tests for the population. This contribution includes the installation and activation of the equipment, the offer of technical assistance in this connection and the training of local personnel in the use of this technology. 6. In the specific case of Haiti, Cuba is willing to contribute, with other donor countries, up to 40 % of the value of the diagnostic equipment and kits. X. THE BOLIVARIAN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE AMERICAS (ALBA) What distinguishes the Bolivarian Alternative for Latin America (ALBA) is that it is a proposal focused on the struggle against poverty and social exclusion. 1. Inaugurate and operate in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela: • 600 comprehensive diagnostic centers 2. Train, in Venezuela, 40,000 doctors and 5,000 specialists in diagnostic and rehabilitation equipment. 4. Cuba shall continue contributing to the development of the Into the Neighborhood Plans I and II, with 30,000 Cuban doctors and health professionals working throughout Venezuela. 5. During 2005, 100 thousand Venezuelans underwent surgeries for different visual impairments (158,315 underwent operations). For this purpose, all hospital centers were equipped with the most modern and sophisticated equipment available and furnished to ensure the comfortable stay of patients and their companions. Venezuela paid for the costs of transportation to the capital and Cuba from there to the island, as well as costs relating to the patients’ medical attention and stay. 6. Ultimately, Cuba shall receive 100,000 patients from other Latin American and Caribbean countries (in 2005 alone, 18,932 patients from 21 different countries were operated on). XI. CUBAN PROGRAM FOR THE CARE OF CHILDREN AFFECTED BY THE AFTERMATH OF THE CHERNOBYL ELECTRO-NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE This program was officially set in motion on 29 March 1990. The fundamental aim of the program is to offer highly specialized medical attention to these children and, in an adequate environment, to develop a comprehensive rehabilitation program to determine the state of the children and design a series of preventive, therapeutic, medical and dentistry-related measures. These measures are implemented as part of a physical and mental rehabilitation program which includes dosimetric evaluations which permit following up on these individuals over the years. This program is directed by Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health and received technical advice from the Radiation Protection and Hygiene Center of the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment. The program’s main headquarters are the facilities of Tarara's Pioneers Camp and include the hospital found at this site. It also makes use of different specialized medical institutions in Havana. Between 1990 and 1992, the program cared for patients from Russia, Byelorussia, the Ukraine and a small number of patients from Armenia and Moldavia. In 1992, through this same program, 53 patients from Brazil received treatment. Since 1993, the program has concentrated on the care of Ukrainian children. From the beginning of the program until the year 2004, 21,510 patients were cared for. 85 % of these patients were children and 15 % adults. Since 1998, a Cuban medical brigade made up of 7 doctors cares for patients in the Evpatoria Sanatorium in the Crimean Peninsula.
XII. COOPERATION IN THE EDUCATIONAL SECTOR. REVOLUTIONIZING THE "FATE" OF OUR PEOPLES. Since 1961, with an unselfish spirit informed by principles of solidarity, Cuba has been sharing its knowledge and experience with sister nations, convinced that "for one reason or another, there will always be much more to do to educate people". In 2005, in spite of the many obstacles and limitations foisted upon Cuba through the United States’ criminal economic, trade and financial blockade, Cuba strengthened links of cooperation in the area of education with many countries around the world, especially those in the so-called Third World. Training professionals for our peoples From 1961 until the last academic year, 45,352 young people from 129 countries graduated from Cuban higher learning institutions. Of these, more than 32 thousand are African (See Annex 1). A total of 22,707 young people, most from the Third World, are currently studying in Cuba. Most of them enjoy scholarships awarded them by the revolution, at centers such as the Latin American School of Medical Sciences, the International School of Sports and Physical Education, the Higher Institute of Art and other secondary and higher education centers (See Annex 2). These students come from the most underprivileged sectors in their countries and have extremely limited possibilities of pursing university studies at home. Our country offers them the opportunity to study in Cuban schools, where they can pursue studies and acquire the knowledge needed to contribute to the development of their communities when they return. As part of a commitment with UNESCO, in March 2005 Cuba set in motion a Yearly Scholarship Project aimed at African nations. The costs of this program, which may be expanded to include other nations around the world in the future, are estimated at half a million dollars. Cuba covers the costs of tuition, study, lodging and medical services. Teaching reading and writing in other lands. Literacy programs have been another vehicle through which Cuba has strengthened its ties of cooperation with other nations in the area of education. Availing itself of the experience it has accumulated since the triumph of the revolution, Cuba currently works with 19 countries in this area, combining the novel literacy and follow-up methods it has developed with the use of radio, television and video classes. The use of these media, which require scant human and material resources, gives numerous populations access to elementary and secondary education. Nations reaping the benefits of this programme: Venezuela, Haiti, Paraguay, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Brazil, New Zealand, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Timor Leste, Egypt and South Africa. The "Yes I Can" and "Yes I Can Continue" methods are highly useful in regions such as Latin America, with an illiteracy index of 11.7 %, primary and secondary school indices of 92 % and 52 % respectively and hundreds of millions of complete and functional illiterates that include young people and adults, indigenous or afro-descendent populations, women living in rural areas, elderly people living the most inhospitable of areas. Cuba’s "Yes I Can" literacy program, developed by Cuba's Latin American and Caribbean Pedagogic Institute, has been successfully applied in 11 countries, such as Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil (See Annex 3), countries that can attest to the solidarity Cuba shows towards other peoples of the world, taking up a common battle against illiteracy, which scourges over 860 million people, especially in Third World nations, today. Our government has delivered 37 521 510 video cassettes of lessons (more than 2 million sets), 92 802 Panda TVs, 40 000 29 inch TVs, 123 829 video players, 10 solar panels, 3 computers. Also, 2 008 740 readers and 230 455 guide manuals. Cuba's president proposed a universal literacy program which, with a contribution of 0.01 % of the GDP of countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) —principally made up of European countries—would, in a period of twelve years, teach 1,500 million illiterate and semi-illiterate people to read and write and give them a 6th grade education. Cuba has made available, to UNESCO and all countries in need, all of its pedagogical experience in the area of adult education, its scientific capacities and its literacy and basic education programs, with a view to supporting all nations’ joint efforts against illiteracy and lack of schooling among young people and adults, and to revert today's state of affairs, in which over 100 million children around the world between the ages of 6 and 11 do not attend primary schools. These efforts would allow us to meet one of the objectives put forth at the Millennium Summit, that of making primary schooling accessible to everyone around the world by 2015. The Republic of Cuba would contribute with an important part of the technology and specialized human resources needed. It would only be a question of redirecting an infinitesimal part of the financial resources that circulate around the world each year. It would require less than the trillion dollars that are spent each year in commercial advertising, of the trillion dollars squandered each year in military spending or the 500 billion used to purchase illegal drugs. In the 1990s, to maintain and further develop this policy of solidarity, Cuba created a group of specialized institutions within the Scientific and Educational Exchange Group (ICE), including the Latin American Pedagogic and Caribbean Institute (IPLAC) and the UNESCO Faculty of Education Sciences for Latin America and the Caribbean (which, in 2001 and 2002, received an honorary mention in UNESCO's "Rey Sajong" Award competition for the results obtained in the execution of literacy programs and projects in the Third World). The latter offers professional and postgraduate courses for educators from other countries and develops post-graduate programs, which have been completed by more than 6 thousand educators, mainly in Latin America and the Caribbean. Cuba organized the first World Literacy Congress in 2005. One of the main topics addressed at the Congress was Cuba's literacy projects in 19 countries in America, Africa and Oceania and the successful work done in Venezuela, where more than 1 million 300 thousand people were taught to read and write in less than a year and a half. SUMMARY OF CUBA'S LITERACY-RELATED WORK IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela In May 2003, Cuba's •"Yes I Can" literacy program was implemented in Venezuela for the first time. In the end, 257 people were taught to read and write, 95.9 % of those who too the final examination. Those who learned to read and write also accounted for 73.9 % of the total, final enrollment. 44 facilitators and 16 supervisors participated in this plan. In view of the positive results of the pilot program, on 1 July 2003 the program began to be implemented on a larger scale. Venezuela set itself the task of teaching one million illiterate Venezuelans how to read and write through the “Yes I can" method. The name given this program was Mission Robinson I. On the basis of analyses and consulting many different information sources, it was estimated that the total number of illiterate people was almost a million and a half. During its first phase, nearly 1 million 500 thousand participants joined Mission Robinson. Of these, 1 million 484 thousand 543 have been taught to read and write. On 28 October 2005, Venezuela was able to declare itself a land free of illiteracy. One of the fundamental components of the literacy program is the follow-up process, called "Yes I Can Continue”. 1 million 352 thousand 482 people, of whom 670 thousand 172 have completed the first phase of Mission Robinson, are enrolled in this program. In keeping with the strategy traced, on 17 November 2003 Mission Rivas was established. 733 thousand 256 people pursue junior and senior secondary school studies through this mission. More than 193 people have already graduated. Since 3 November 2003, some 488 thousand 376 high school students who were unable to begin university studies enrolled in Mission Sucre. 260 thousand 270 high school graduates have completed the University Preparatory Program. 149 thousand 389 of these are currently pursuing studies in different university programs. The national teacher training program has a current enrollment of 62 thousand 731 participants. 25 thousand 128 high school graduates have enrolled in the introductory course on comprehensive community medicine. A total of 300 teachers from Cuba's Ministry of Education (MINED) who received previous training at the Latin American and Caribbean Pedagogic Institute serve as advisers for the different educational missions. To guarantee the proper functioning of educational missions, including the “Turning Faces Around” mission, Cuba has sent a total of 37 million 513 thousand 724 video cassettes, 92 thousand 592 televisions, 40 thousand 29-inch televisions and 123 thousand 529 VHS to Venezuela. Mission Robinson I had 2 million primers and 230 facilitator's manuals at its disposal. 9 million 322 thousand 400 pamphlets were published for Mission Robinson II and more than 23 million 767 thousand pamphlets were printed for Mission Rivas. More than 3 million 345 pamphlets were reproduced for Mission Sucre. The first steps are now being taken to offer post-graduate degree programs to Venezuelan education professionals, through a convention between IPLAC and the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, to have one thousand professionals complete Masters programs and 40 PhDs. Haiti Impressed with the excellent results obtained in Venezuela, the Haitian government requested the execution of the “Yes I Can" program in Haiti. Nine literacy campaigns had been undertaken previously without success. Initially, the program was designed in the French language. At the request of the government and in response to the country's socio-cultural characteristics, a version in Creole was developed and the study of French as a post-literacy language was proposed. In 1999, a pilot program was begun at Petite Place Cazeau, near Puerto Principe, to assess the potential of a radio literacy program and of a program for the teaching of French as a second language following the completion of the literacy program. Paraguay The first steps to apply the”Yes I Can” method in Paraguay were taken in 2003. The donation for the project, given the Paraguayan people by the renowned writer Augusto Roa Bastos, included 200 television sets, the same number of videos and 225 sets of video cassettes, a total of 3 thousand 825 cassettes. Currently, the program is offered at 180 locations in the departments of Central, Cordillera, Amambay, Caazapa and Concepcion. Nearly 9 thousand people, of whom 5 thousand 620 have been evaluated and certified, are enrolled in the program. The method will soon be applied in a literacy program in Alto Parana, there being an interest on behalf of the country's authorities to extend the program through Channel 2 of Red Guarani. In this connection, an agreement has been signed by the Paraguayan Ministry of Education and the television station. For financial reasons, Cuban experts have not been hired to offer advice for the project. Argentina During their visit to Cuba, a group of representatives of grassroots organizations concerned with the problem of illiteracy in their country found out about Cuba's successful application of the “Yes I Can” method and decided to promote the implementation of the program in Argentina. The project was first implemented using the program taped using Cuban actors, designed for other countries. Later, Cuba's Educational Channel taped a version using Argentinean actors. This is the version currently being used. As of 2005, 4 thousand 330 participants had completed the program. Currently, 129 literacy centers, with an enrollment of 913 people and employing 259 facilitators, are in operation. The first to complete these literacy programs consolidate what they have learned using the "You Can!" reading primer, of which 5 thousand copies have been sent to Argentina. 401 participants who are now entering the follow-up stage study at 57 different locations. Thanks to the work of the group “A Better World is Possible” (ABWP), a number of Argentinean provinces and city councils have officially declared an interest in the program. Santa Fe, Cordoba Capital and the municipalities of Villa Allende, Mercedes and Catamarca have signed agreements with IPLAC to implement the program on a larger scale. Six Cuban teachers are currently working in Argentine as advisors. Mexico Currently, the “Yes I Can" method is being applied in 5 states: Michoacan, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Puebla and Chimalhuacan. The program was fully implemented in San Luis Potosi, Veracruz and Nayarit. The Mexican version of the program, recorded in the Telecentro studio in Santiago de Cuba with Mexican actors from Michoacan, continues to be used in this country. A total of 267 thousand 42 people have enrolled in the program in the abovementioned states. Of these, 118 thousand 835 have completed the program and 148 thousand 207 participants continue enrolled in classes, offered by 10 thousand 515 facilitators. 100 Cuban advisors are involved in the program. The results obtained to date give us a sense of all that could be achieved in the future through joint efforts in the struggle to eradicate this scourge in Mexico. Ecuador The talks that the Cuban Head of State held with representatives of indigenous organizations, on the occasion of his visit to Ecuador for the inauguration of the "Chapel of Man" and Auki Tituaña's subsequent visits to Cuba constitute the first steps towards the introduction of Cuba's literacy program into this country. To help set the project in motion, Cuba donated to Auki Tituaña, the Mayor of Cotacachi, 50 sets of videocassettes, 4 thousand primers and 100 facilitator's manuals. In July 2004, the program's pilot phase came to a successful end in this municipality. This phase of the program saw the participation of 531 people, mostly women and indigenous people. The program began to be implemented throughout the country and, by November 2004, one thousand thirty six people had been taught how to read and write. In April 2005, the municipality of Cotacachi was declared territory free of illiteracy. Currently, the program is being applied in 44 municipalities in 16 provinces across the country. 16 thousand 769 , 7 thousand 857 of whom have learned to read and write, are enrolled in the program. With a view to extending and strengthening the program, a new version of the program which uses Ecuadorian actors was recently taped in Cuba. A reading primer titled "I Can Read Now" has been made available to Ecuador and Ecuadorian teachers have recorded history and geography video-classes in Cuba for the first part of the post-literacy program. Forty four Cuban advisors are today involved in the program in Ecuador. Venezuelan advisors will soon become involved in the program as it is extended to cover other areas of the country. Bolivia The program reached Bolivia thanks to authorities in the prefecture of Tarija, where the illiteracy rate is of 39.1%. Following the signing of an agreement between IPLAC and the prefecture of the department of Tarija, work began in 11 municipalities in this department. A first, diagnostic phase was implemented to select meeting points and to train facilitators, advisors and coordinators. With a view to revitalizing the program, the Cuba government donated 50 sets of videocassettes, 2 thousand primers and 100 manuals. Owing to a shortage of VHS equipment in the Bolivian market, Cuban authorities authorized the donation of 100 VHS to this country. Currently, the program sees the participation of 5,047 people in 328 groups, coordinated by 330 facilitators. The first participants are beginning to complete the program. 6 Cuban teachers serve as program advisers. Peru The program was requested by a teachers organization known as "Derrama Magisterial", which signed a cooperation agreement with IPLAC in 1995. To set the program in motion, 10 sets of videocassettes, 330 primers and 25 facilitator's manuals were sent to Peru. The pilot program began in September 2004 with an enrollment of 120 participants. At its conclusion, 97 people had been taught to read and write. Currently, work is underway to apply the method in other parts of the country, under the guidance of 2 Cuban advisors. In view of the interest shown and the results obtained by "Derrama Magisterial" in this first stage of the project, a decision was made to donate 50 sets of cassettes, 1,000 primers and 100 facilitator's manuals. Nicaragua The program began with the donation of a first batch of materials approved for the development a TV and video program in this country, where 6 Cuban advisors currently work. On 29 August 2005, the pilot program began to offered in 15 municipalities, at 175 locations, covering a net population of 2 thousand 29 people. Of these, 1 thousand 644 participants completed the pilot program and 1 thousand 581 were taught to read and write. Of the locations where the program was offered, 162 continued working until the end. 13 points had to be closed down because of a shortage of participants. The gradual opening of 5 thousand program locations, with a total expected enrollment of 500 thousand participants, is planned for the immediate future. 2 thousand 832 people were taught to read and write over the past two years. Dominican Republic In September 2005, with the aid of two Cuban advisors and following the acquisition of 16 sets of videocassettes, 340 primers and 40 facilitator’s manuals, the program was launched in this country. The pilot program was set in motion in 12 locales and 24 participants, in Monte Plata, Capotillo and Los Mina. There is an interest in extending the program to other localities and a request for more Cuban advisors and the participation of Venezuelan advisors has been made. Currently, the program is offered at 18 locales and has an enrollment of 271 participants. When the program was started, participants were expected to complete the program by 13 January 2006. Measures would then be taken to gradually extend the program to other parts of the country. A Cuban and Venezuelan advisor are expected to join the program at the end of January. Granada With the aid of a Cuban advisor, the first preliminary research and data-gathering actions are underway with a view to implementing the program in this country. The study of the most commonly used words has already been completed. New Zealand To address the literacy and basic education needs of New Zealand's young and adult Maori community, following the unsuccessful implementation of more than 70 literacy programs, Rongo Wetere, dean at the Te Wananga o Aoteaora University, requested Cuba's cooperation in an effort to resolve this problem. For this purpose, an agreement with IPLAC was signed through ICAP and the Literacy Museum. With the aid of Cuban advisors, New Zealand crafted a program designed not only to teach people to read and write but also to provide young people and adults with basic schooling, New Zealand being a developed country where functional illiteracy exists. An English version of the "Yes I Can” method was put together. This program included classes in Maori, the native tongue of the majority of the population for which the program was intended. The program consists of four teaching modules. In 2005, its profound social impact was gauged through an evaluation. The pilot program was implemented in three communities in June 2003: two Maori communities and one Pacific Peoples. By September of that year, more than 5,000 participants were enrolled in the program. The Greenlight program is currently being extended. 5 thousand 260 people and 72 facilitators are involved. Of these participants, 2 thousand 92 have already learned to read and write and the rest are about to complete the program. A pilot version of the program's follow-up phase is now underway. It has an enrollment of 490 participants and consists of three modules which covers basic education requirements for adults. A team of 6 Cuban advisors is involved in the program. Mozambique A Portuguese version of the program was implemented in this country. In June 2005, the program was officially launched. The pilot phase was completed in two districts in Maputo, where 55 people were taught to read and write. All of the materials needed to extend the program to other locations, a process which began in September 2004, have been prepared. The program is now being offered in Maputo, Manica and Cabo Delgado. 4 Cuban advisors are involved. Nigeria With the aid of an expert from IPLAC’s Literacy Department, an English version of the program, a primer and scripts for the radio program and a facilitator's manual were developed for the method's application in Nigeria. These materials have been translated in seven local languages for use in the pilot phase of the program, which was scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2006 in 120 communities (12 of the 36 states in the country). A Cuban advisor provides assistance in these efforts.
Guinea Bissau Following a general survey, the conditions for the implementation of the pilot program at 10 locations were created. The Portuguese version of the program, taped using Brazilian actors, will be used at these locations. Two Cuban advisors are currently involved in the project. Brazil A pilot program has been undertaken in Piaui with the aid of a Cuban advisor. Cuba has contributed with 50 sets of videocassettes (with the Portuguese version of the program), one thousand primers and 100 facilitator's manuals. The materials needed to develop the program will shortly arrive in Brazil. East Timor Following the visit of East Timor's Prime Minister Mari Bim Amude Alkatiria to Cuba, a decision was made to develop the program in that country. A coordinator from the Ministry of Education's work team is currently in East Timor to organize the needed actions in this connection. Different options are being evaluated with respect to the language to be used in the program to address East Timor's linguistic reality. 5 sets of Portuguese program materials were sent to East Timor to undertake a pilot program that will allow us to evaluate the program’s effectiveness in this country. Egypt At the request of the Egyptian ambassador, the first steps were taken to implement the program in one of the country's provinces in June 2006. On numerous occasions, the ambassador has expressed an interest in having Egyptian experts visit the country to exchange with Cuban experts and begin tailoring the program for use in Egypt. South Africa During the Cuba - South Africa Joint Commission held in 2005, the two countries agreed to carry out a diagnosis, with the aid of a Cuban advisor that was to travel to South Africa in January 2006, with a view to implementing the program in the country. Other examples Work is underway to implement the agreements signed, in this area, with Dominica, Namibia and Sierra Leone. The educational program of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) As part of ALBA —a new model of integration advanced as an alternative to the FTAA—, the Cuba - Venezuela Joint Declaration and the agreement between these nations to implement this model, commitments were assumed in the field of education to extend the struggle against poverty and social exclusion in our continent. The countries agreed to: • Offer 2 thousand scholarships, every year, to young Venezuelans, for the completion of higher studies in Cuba, in any area that could prove of interest to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, including scientific research areas. - Mission Robinson I With respect to aid for less developed countries in the region, a Continental Plan Against Illiteracy which makes use of modern technologies (already tested in Venezuela) was included in the agreement. A regional scholarship plan for areas of special economic and social interest was also included. Annex 1 Foreign scholarship recipients in Cuba per level of education (from 1961 to 2005-06 academic year)
Date: January 2006 Date: 3 February 2006
LEYENDA: Top row, left to right: Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Higher Education, National Institute for Sports, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Culture. Second row, left to right: Latin American School of Medicine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International School of Physical Education and Sports. Annex 3 Literacy data per country
LEGEND: RP: Radio program
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