Despite facing severe economic constraints exacerbated by longstanding trade restrictions, Cuba’s healthcare system has achieved a remarkable 80% survival rate for pediatric cancer patients through innovative protocols and government commitment. This impressive milestone was highlighted during the eighth humanitarian donation from the US-based Hatuey Project (Health Advocates in Truth, Unity and Empathy) to the island nation.
At the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples (ICAP) headquarters, project coordinator Gloria La Riva presented a substantial shipment of medical supplies and medications destined for pediatric oncology units at Havana’s Juan Manuel Márquez Hospital and Villa Clara’s José Luis Miranda Hospital. The donation will also support maternity facilities across the island.
Dr. Carlos Alberto Martínez Blanco, head of the Cancer Control Section at Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health, acknowledged the critical challenges healthcare professionals face in maintaining treatment standards without access to first-line medications and advanced technologies due to trade limitations.
The ceremony was attended by ICAP President Fernando González Llort, a Hero of the Republic, where La Riva declared the project’s unwavering solidarity: “We are committed to Cuba forever. We know that Cuba will not give in, it will not surrender, and neither will we. There are many people in the United States who support and love Cuba.”
The event also served as a platform to condemn the US government’s continued inclusion of Cuba on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, which participants described as “infamous and false.” The Hatuey Project reaffirmed its stance alongside the Cuban people in opposing what they characterized as imperialist policies that compound healthcare challenges.