CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA November 25 , 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following stories are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's English Language service for Tuesday, November 25th, 1997. Today's stories 1.- CUBAN PARLIAMENT ORDINARY SESSION CONVENED FOR DECEMBER 13 2.- INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE KICKS OFF IN CUBA 3.- FORUM ANALYSES AIDS IMPACT ON CUBA SOCIETY 4.- CARIBBEAN INFORMATION REFERENCE CENTER TO BE CREATED SOON 5.- US AUTHORITIES DENY VISA TO CUBAN MUSICAL GROUP CUBAN PARLIAMENT ORDINARY SESSION CONVENED FOR DECEMBER 13 Havana, November 25(RHC) The National Assembly of People's Power -the Cuban Parliament- has convened its 10th ordinary session for December 13. It will be the last session of the parliament's 4th legislature, which will conclude with general elections slated for January. The 4th legislature will be recorded in history as the parliament of the Special Period economic crisis, which had the responsibility of passing laws crucial to preserve the Cuban Revolution after the economic crisis that hit with the demise of socialism in Eastern Europe. Among them the Foreign Investment and Taxation Laws. According to the announcement, the 4th legislature's last ordinary session will take place in the usual venue - Havana's Convention Center-, and will be preceded by meetings of the Parliament's permanent commissions. INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON PRIMARY HEALTH CARE KICKS OFF IN CUBA Havana, November 25 (RHC)-- The 6th International Seminar on Primary Health Care "Health for All" opened its doors in Cuba Tuesday morning in Havana's Convention Center with over a thousand delegates from 23 countries. Cuban President Fidel Castro, other high ranking Cuban officials as well as international personalities from the world of health were on hand at the opening session. Cuba's Minister of Public Health Carlos Dotres briefed participants on the health care system in Cuba and informed that 97,6 percent of the island's population is covered by primary health care services. Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima, Director General of the World Health Organization as well as the Pan American Health Organization Director General George Alleyne participated in the panel "World Health, Changes and Challenges for the 21st Century". The panel focused on the great difficulties health care is facing nowadays, programs to improve health for all, priorities and common strategies to adopt to improve health standards worldwide. On Wednesday Cuban Vice-President Carlos Lage is scheduled to discourse on the effects of the US blockade against the island on the health care system. FORUM ANALYSES AIDS IMPACT ON CUBA SOCIETY Havana, November 25(RHC) Cuban health experts concur that the average Cuban citizen continues seeing the possibility of contracting AIDS as something remote, as somebody else's problem. That was the experience shared during an encounter sponsored by the Union of Cuban Journalists -UPEC-, held Monday in Havana. Media professionals, HIV-carriers and medical doctors exchanged opinions on the so called disease of the century and insisted that individual responsibility is the best guarantee to deter the infection. HIV-carriers insisted on the need that media, together with health, education and other sectors conduct systematic campaigns against the disease rather than regarding it as a phenomenon only to be addressed when a date like World Day against AIDS, December 1 approaches. Cuban Public health officials recently warned of an increase of the Aids virus on the island, with a current rate of one case daily in 1997. Some 1,770 seropositives have been detected on the island, 635 have developed full blown AIDS, and 470 of them have died. CARIBBEAN INFORMATION REFERENCE CENTER TO BE CREATED SOON Havana, November 25(RHC)-- A Caribbean Information Reference Center Information will be created in Cuba, on a proposal made by participants in a Regional workshop held this week on cultural relations between Cuba and Caribbean Nations, sponsored by the Havana-based Jose Marti National Library. Information on the Caribbean available in Cuba is abundant, however, specialists contended that it is very dispersed, hence the urgency to create such a center linking together all the institutions related to the Caribbean. Specialists also urged for the preparation of a catalogue by Cuban libraries with information on the region as an important step forward to encourage better knowledge of the Caribbean and reinforce ties between Cuba and neighboring Caribbean nations. US AUTHORITIES DENY VISA TO CUBAN MUSICAL GROUP San Juan, November 25 (RHC)-- The US government has denied entry visas to the Cuban salsa band "Juan Carlos y Su Dan Den", that was scheduled to arrive in Puerto Rico Monday. The office of producer Jerry Masucci said that the visas were denied on the claim that the Cuban musical group would be making a commercial rather than a cultural tour of the Caribbean island, which violates Washington's more than 35 year blockade against Cuba. As Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, it cannot authorize the entrance of foreigners into its territory without the US State Department's permission. The Cuban salsa band was scheduled to perform in popular concerts and its agenda included a series of encounters with the Puerto Rican press to promote its new CD "Mi Cuerpo" or My Body. Juan Carlos y Su Dan Den is represented by Nueva Fania Records and its productions distributed by Sony Discos Internacional. The group which was set up in 1988 in Bejucal outside of Havana, has accompanied several international salsa bands and singers including Oscar de Leon from Venezuela, La Sonora Poncena and Cheo Feliciano from Puerto Rico and the Grupo Niche from Colombia. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. This prohibition includes the distribution of this material via Usenet News, "bulletin board" services, e-mail lists, print media, radio and television. For the complete RADIO HAVANA CUBA NEWSCAST and other features, please write for our daily broadcast schedule. We welcome your comments and suggestions. For further information, contact us at: Postal Address: Radio Havana Cuba P.O.Box 6240 Havana, Cuba Telephone: (53) (7) 814243 Fax: (53) (7) 812927 E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org WWW: http://www.radiohc.org