CUBANEWS FROM RADIO HAVANA CUBA E-mail: rhc@radiohc.org http://www.radiohc.org The following items are taken from Radio Havana Cuba's news service for Tuesday, May 12, 1998. Today's stories: 1.- HEALTH CARE IN CUBA IS A RIGHT FOR ALL, NOT A PRIVILEGE FOR FEW 2.- U.S. PHARMACEUTICAL MULTI-NATIONAL INTERESTED IN CUBAN VACCINE 3.- INTERNATIONAL TOURISM CONVENTION UNDERWAY IN HAVANA 4.- FOREIGN MINISTER OF MALI, MODIBO SIBIBE, IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL 5.- CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA MEETS WITH HIS COUNTERPART FROM BOTSWANA, MOMPATI MERAFE 6.- CUBA MARKS INTERNATIONAL NURSE'S DAY 7.- NEW CUBAN-CANADIAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION 8.- HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL ENDS TONIGHT 9.- CUBA WILL PARTICIPATE IN CHINA EXPO IN 1999 HEALTH CARE IN CUBA IS A RIGHT FOR ALL, NOT A PRIVILEGE FOR FEW Geneva, May 12(RHC)-- Health care in Cuba continues to be a right for all and not a privilege for a few. Cuban Minister of Public Health Doctor Carlos Dotres addressed the 51st Assembly of the World Health Organization in Geneva on Tuesday, stressing the island's determination to continue offering health care as an indispensable principle of social justice. Doctor Dotres emphasized that health care for all Cuban citizens is as much a priority for the Cuban Revolution today as it was at the time of the revolutionary triumph on January 1st, 1959. The Cuban health minister referred to the many obstacles deliberately placed in the way -- specifically the U.S. economic blockade -- making it necessary for the national health care system to overcome enormous hurdles. He said that despite problems associated with the blockade, Cuba has managed to guarantee total accessibility to health care, free of charge to all Cuban citizens. Addressing his counterparts and other health officials from nearly 200 countries, gathered in Geneva for the annual meeting of the World Health Organization, the Cuban minister of health said that the island's achievements in the field are due in large part to the development of general medicine and the Family Doctor Program, which has become a model for many other countries. Doctor Carlos Dotres pointed out that Cuba achieved "health for all" in 1983 -- long before the World Health Organization's goal set for the year 2000. Cuba's minister of health concluded by referring to the island's achievements over the years: the eradication of many deadly diseases, an average life-expectancy of 75 years and reduction of the infant mortality rate to 7.2 for each one thousand live births, placing Cuba among the top 25 countries of the world. On Thursday, the World Health Organization will celebrate it's 50th anniversary in Geneva. U.S. PHARMACEUTICAL MULTI-NATIONAL INTERESTED IN CUBAN VACCINE Havana, May 12(RHC)-- Havana's Finlay Institute has confirmed its interest in authorizing the British company SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, to perform tests on one of its most internationally recognized products: a vaccine against Meningitis B. A statement issued by the leading Cuban research center says, however, that there is no agreement with the company, although the latter has requested permission from the U.S. government to conduct the tests at a laboratory in Belgium, owned by its U.S. subsidiary. The Cuban vaccine against Meningitis B was developed by Cuban scientists in 1989 and has been marketed in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia with great success. However, the vaccine, believed to be the best developed against Meningitis B in the world, is banned from being marketed in the United States due to Washington's economic blockade against the island. It is estimated that some 1000 people contract the illness every year in the United States and about 120 of them die. INTERNATIONAL TOURISM CONVENTION UNDERWAY IN HAVANA Havana, May 12(RHC)-- Over 1600 professionals from 64 countries and four international organizations are participating in the 19th edition of Havana's International Tourism Convention, underway at the Cuban capital's Convention Center and PABEXPO Pavilion. Called "Tourism and the Caribbean: United on the Threshold of the New Century," the event's official welcoming ceremony was held last night at Old Havana's Morro-Cabanas Historical Park. Multi-destination trips and Caribbean integration to face the challenges of the next century will be some of the issues delegates will discuss. The event, which winds up Friday, will include round tables and master conferences, as well as a commercial fair with 121 stands, where the latest tourism products will be on display. So far this year, more than half a million tourists have visited our island. FOREIGN MINISTER OF MALI, MODIBO SIBIBE, IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, May 12(RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina met today with his counterpart from the African nation of Mali, Modibo Sidibe, in the Cuban capital. The visiting foreign minister from Mali told reporters he was pleased to be in Cuba, a country which shares his nation's respect for human dignity. Sidibe presided over the first session of the Fourth Intergovernmental Commission for Bilateral Cooperation between Cuba and Mali, held here in Havana. For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina emphasized that the bilateral talks come at an important moment in South-South cooperation. CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTER ROBERTO ROBAINA MEETS WITH HIS COUNTERPART FROM BOTSWANA, MOMPATI MERAFE Havana, May 12(RHC)-- The visiting Foreign Minister of Botswana Mompati Merafe held bilateral talks with his Cuban counterpart, Roberto Robaina, today in Havana. During the Fifth Session of Intergovernmental Collaboration between Botswana and Cuba, the African nation expressed its interest in broadening relations with the Caribbean island. Merafe reiterated Botswana's position against the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba and praised the recent decision to invite Cuba as an observer in upcoming negotiations between the European Union and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. CUBA MARKS INTERNATIONAL NURSE'S DAY Havana, May 12(RHC)-- Cuba is marking International Nurse's Day. The date was internationally chosen to pay tribute to renowned English nurse Florence Nightingale, who was born on this date in 1820. Nightingale was responsible for organizing a modern nursing system. Various activities have been carried out throughout the island to pay tribute to these untiring and indispensable health care workers. University nursing studies began in Cuba in 1976. At present, there are some 15,000 university graduates, while another 25,000 are studying in university classrooms. NEW CUBAN-CANADIAN ECONOMIC ASSOCIATION Havana, May 12(RHC)-- The Underwater Archeology Agency of Cuba's GEOCUBA Center for Marine Studies signed has economic agreements with prestigious Canadian firms. These associations are aimed at finding ships that sank during the last century. The head of the Cuban institution, Eddy Fernandez, told journalists that Cuba signed an agreement with the Canadian Canpack Diver, Inc. in 1995, and that now a new agreement has been signed with another Canadian company -- the Visa Gold Resources, Inc. Research is being carried out on the northern coast of eastern Cuba and, according to Fernandez, additional research may take place on the southern coast and western side of the island. The contracts offer priority to the Cuban state and none of the pieces found will be sold, but will become part of Cuba's patrimony. Two other associations with renowned underwater archeology firms from South Africa and France are now being studied. HAVANA'S INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL ENDS TONIGHT Havana, May 12(RHC)-- Cuban guitarist Rosa Matos won the 9th International Guitar Contest, underway in the Cuban capital. Matos also won the Ichiro Suzuki Prize, consisting of five thousand dollars. Twenty-two young guitarists from various countries participated in the contest and prizes were granted by a jury formed by outstanding personalities from the world of music, headed by Cuban guitarist, composer and orchestra director Leo Brower. Japanese guitarist Yosug Oagui finished second, while Cubans Osnel Rodriguez and Jose Lazaro Dominguez tied for third place. The 9th edition of Havana's Guitar Festival winds up tonight. CUBA WILL PARTICIPATE IN CHINA EXPO IN 1999 Beijing, May 12(RHC)-- Cuba will participate in the First International Horticulture Exhibition in China, to be held in the Chinese city of Kumming from May to October 1999. A letter of intent was signed Monday between Cuban Ambassador to China, Jose Guerra, and a representative from the event's organizing committee, Gian Yongnia. During the signing ceremony, Yongnia said that it was a pleasure to sign that letter with Cuba, since the exhibition will promote friendship and foster horticulture, while it will also contribute to the strengthening of links between China and numerous countries in the world. [c] 1998, 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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