UNAIDS: Cuba To Have New Generations Without HIV
Prensa Latina – Nov 13
Havana, Nov 13 (Prensa Latina) Executive Director of UNAIDS, Michel Sidibé, said here today that Cuba is an example of how a country can have new generations without HIV.
Cuba has proved it and will achieve it, as its fundamental premise is to place the human being at the center and that is the driving force to transform the people’s health, said Sidibe in a meeting with journalists.
On a three-day visit in Cuba as of Wednesday, the UNAIDS chief reviewed the current global AIDS epidemic from its inception.
He noted that some years ago, the world was shocked and frightened. Everything was disheartening. Now, due to international solidarity and alliances, we have managed to reverse it.
Regarding Cuba, which early this year announced the validation by the World Health Organization of the elimination of the mother-to-child transmission of the HIV/AIDS, Sidibe said the country will be able to go far in the eradication of the epidemic that still affects millions of people worldwide.
Cuba makes emphasis on the social factors, and is able to deal with policies oriented to people at risk, he said.
In this way, Cuba will be able to reach in a short time the target 90-90-90, which means that 90 percent of the people know their serology state, have access to treatment and wipe out transmission almost by 100 percent.
With an effort, Cuba will be able to put an end to the illness. It is one of the nations that supports this target, and the results in these three aspects are already encouraging.
During his stay, Sidibe visited several primary care institutions, the Pedro Kouri Institute, which leads the studies on tropical diseases, and the National Center for Sexual Education.
“I could see first-hand and understand the view they have about the illness, which is treated from the community level. In Cuba they have a doctor per every 137 people, and that was a dream I had for many years, noted the UNAIDS chief.
In African countries, there is one doctor per every 45,000 people; this shows the development of the Cuban health care system, he said.
