CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA October 29 , 1997 rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from RADIO HAVANA CUBA's International Shortwave Service in English for Wednesday, October 29, 1997. Today's stories: 1.- CHANGES IN PROVINCIAL PARTY LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCED 2.- NEUROSURGERY EXCELS IN CUBA 3.- CONGRESS ON PEDIATRICS TACKLES CRUCIAL ISSUES FOR CHILDREN 4.- FORMERLY EXCLUSIVE TRINIDAD CIGAR WILL STAR IN NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. 5.- CUBAN AGRICULTURE AUTHORITIES PREPARE FOR EL NINO. CHANGES IN PROVINCIAL PARTY LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCED Havana, October 29(RHC)--The Cuban Communist Party has announced changes in its leadership in three provinces. Candido Palmero, 1st secretary of the province of Havana, was substituted by Pedro Saez, who held the same post in the central province of Sancti-Spiritus. Juan Antonio Diaz was elected to fill Saez' vacancy in Sacti Spiritus. Meanwhile, Alfredo Hondal, Party Secretary in Camaguey province was substituted by Edildo Campanioni. The plenary meetings of the party committees of the provinces involved, acknowledged the commitment and efforts of the outgoing leaders and the successful performance of their tenures. Reshuffling of party and ministerial leadership is common on the island after the celebration of Party congresses. Other changes are expected in coming months. NEUROSURGERY EXCELS IN CUBA Havana, October 29(RHC)- Despite Cuba's economic crisis the island has developed its neurosurgery capabilities to the extent of successfully performing minimum access brain surgery and other complex operations. The Deputy Director of the Havana's Surgical Research Center, Dr. Domingo Diaz, told the press in the capital, that though the island lacks certain state-of-the-art technology, Cuban neurosurgery is extremely highly developed. Dr. Diaz said that the island's neurosurgery centers are presently treating epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and vascular malformations of the brain with a notable level of effectiveness. Dr. Diaz is the president of the organizing committee of the 5th International Neurosurgery Congress underway at Havana's Surgical Research Center. The scientist also noted the success of a Cuban designed computer software system to monitor brain operations which has found acceptance in other nations. The 5th International Surgery Congress closes Thursday with presentations on vascular neurosurgery, use of neurosurgery in cases of chronic pain and skull and brain trauma. CONGRESS ON PEDIATRICS TACKLES CRUCIAL ISSUES FOR CHILDREN Havana, October 29(RHC)-- Seventy percent of the world's children live in third world countries. 11 million of them die before their fifth year of age and eight million before their first. 10 Latin American countries still have a mortality rate of some thirty deaths per every thousand live births. These and other figures along with problems like malnutrition, hunger, poverty and children's death caused by preventible diseases are some of the reasons why some 1,000 doctors and experts from twenty four nations are now gathered in Havana for Pediatrics 97, an event that opened its doors Tuesday at Havana's Convention Center and winds up October 31st. FORMERLY EXCLUSIVE TRINIDAD CIGAR WILL STAR IN NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. Havana, October 29(RHC)-- Cuba's Trinidad cigars - used formerly only as gifts given by the island's Council of State- will leave aside their exclusivity to top an advertising campaign in 1998. According to the Cuban business supplement "Business in Cuba", the "Habanos on the Eve of the Year 2000" campaign will run for a full year. The advertising campaign will kick off in February, l998 with an exclusive dinner during which Trinidad cigars will be internationally launched. AccorDing to Emilia Tamayo, the head of the El Laguito Cigar factory, where the Trinidad cigars are made, the new line resembles the renown Lancero Cohiba, which the factory also produces. But, explained Tamayo, the Trinidad is stronger and burns longer. Colonial Trinidad, one of Cuba's most important cities, is located on the island's central southern region. The United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, declared Trinidad a World Heritage Site in 1988 as a tribute to its beauty and well preserved colonial section. As in 1996 on the 30th anniversary of the internationally acclaimed Cohiba cigar, international personalities of the tobacco industry and movie stars are expected to attend the dinner. CUBAN AGRICULTURE AUTHORITIES PREPARE FOR EL NINO. Havana, October 29(RHC)-- Predictions of one of the most severe weather patterns of the century have prompted Cuban agriculture authorities to prepare to face the El Nino southern oscillation phenomenon this winter. To begin, the island will start sugar harvest operations in the next few days; a month earlier than usual. Cuban Meteorology Institute expert, Pedro Antonio, told reporters in Havana that the measure will also be taken with other crops including potatoes and vegetables. The island's agricultural sector is not only threatened by severe weather and the lack of resources but also by the voracious Thrips Palmi insect plague that caused the loss of 20 thousand tons of various crops this year. Cuban meteorologists are forecasting abundant, but irregular rain and lower temperatures than normal this winter. According to studies, El Nino will cause even more havoc this winter than in 1983 when the world registered eight billion dollars in losses in flood damages alone. According to Cuban expert, Pedro Antonio, the only thing the scientific community can do in the face of the El Nino Southern Oscillation is to attempt to make the most precise forecasts possible as far ahead of time as possible because, he said, nature has its own rules and nothing can be done to change its course. Information gathered by scientists reveals that the El Nino weather pattern was first recorded 635 years before Christ. [c] 1997. Radio Habana Cuba All rights reserved Articles cannot be reproduced, reprinted or published in any system without the consent of RHC. 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