Cuba has the lowest HIV-AIDS rate in Latin-American continent. It’s developing a preventative and integral care program for carriers and sufferers; as reported at a scientific meeting attended by local and foreign representatives. According to the National Information Agency, there are up to now more than 2,800 AIDS registered cases nationwide treated under an out-patient health care system, which together with an evolving follow-up treatment ensure to replay labour recruitment of those patients, whose life quality have been raised.

Access to periodic medical checkups and treatments is guaranteed. Men between 17 and 35 years of age prevail among male patients with AIDS in Cuba.

Therefore, they receive a more direct instruction and persuasive methods on safer ways to assume sex. This scientific meeting contributed to upgrading strategies available to combat this grave health problem that has already affected more than 60 million people in the whole world, while 40 millions who are yet alive and do not have access to any sort of medical care.

By applying highly effective anti-retrovirus therapies designed on the island, in addition to free qualified integral medical services, it’s been possible to reduce AIDS-caused deaths annually; (140 deaths in 2000, 116 in 2001 and only 88 in 2002).

Blood virus rate in patients treated here with anti-retrovirus therapies is visibly reduced, haemoglobin levels are raised, there’s a normal counting of leucocytes and adverse body reactions are removed.

Dr. Jorge Pérez, director of medical assistance of the Institute Pedro Kourí explains medicines used in AIDS therapies are inhibitors of the reverse transcriptasa or the proteasa. They provide the body with better defence conditions and resources and prevent proliferation of opportunist diseases, major cause of death in AIDS patients.

These are Cuban alternatives to fight against AIDS made available for local people and poor countries, where infection rates are the highest.

“At the same time, it’s been reported trials with nevirapine, a powerful non-nucleoside inhibitor, are in process and as no adverse reactions have appear, it’s much likely to be a success” affirmed the expert.

In 1985 the first AIDS cases were tested positive in Cuba and ever since that time nearly 5 000 people have been infected. Just like it happens in the western countries, here homosexual men are most vulnerable to the disease.

UN Expert Stress Cuba's Achievements in AIDS Treatment

Bruno Moro, UN Residing Coordinator stressed the Cuban HIV-AIDS program, which fights a disease being suffered by 42 million people.

In a conference on this issue, the UN expert stressed the preventive work which allows Cuba to be one of the countries with the lowest HIV-AIDS prevalence and the lowest such indicators in Latin America and the Caribbean.

As far as there is not curative treatment, Cuban medical authorities suggest abstention, faithfulness and the use of condoms in order to avoid the spread of the disease.

The absence of AIDS in children, the existence of a strong control program since 1985 and the performance of the National Health System, make the Cuban situation contrast to that in most part of the world.

Taken from: Cubasí