Cuba, Colombia sign health accords

HAVANA -- The governments of Cuba and Colombia signed several important cooperation accords in the area of public health on January 10.

According to one of the agreements, Colombia will purchase 2.5 million doses of the Cuban-manufactured anti-hepatitis B vaccine.

The cooperation package was signed in Havana by Cuban health minister Julio Teja and his Colombian counterpart, Juan Luis Londono, during a ceremony attended by President Fidel Castro. It also includes provisions for cooperation between the two countries in primary health care, epidemiology surveillance, human resource training, essential and generic medicines and vaccines.

As part of the accords, the Havana-based Finlay Institute will provide technical assistance for designing an expanded five-year vaccination program for Colombia and for the supply of the Cuban anti-meningitis vaccine.

The accords were signed at the end of a 15-day visit by a Colombian delegation headed by Juan Luis Londono.

Assessing Cuba's public health system, Londono said it is superior to any existing today on the continent. During his stay, he expressed particular interest in Cuba's family doctor program and the way in which the island has managed to cut its infant mortality rate to a record low of 9.4 deaths for every 1000 live births.

Cuba and Colombia resumed diplomatic links in October, after a 12-year break.
[Radio Havana via Pegasus.]

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