WHO: Cuba is biggest force in Ebola war

By Caribbean Medical News Staff
According to reports from the World Health Organization, (WHO), Cuba takes top prize as the biggest force in the fight against Ebola in West Africa having contributed to the fight in contributions larger than rich nations and the Red Cross.
“Cuba has provided the numbers and the people,” said Jose Luis Di Fabio, the WHO representative for Cuba. The small Spanish-speaking Caribbean nation has long been known for its highly trained health care workers. The Cubans recently arrived with 165 personnel across many areas in health care along with varied medical supplies.
“There are more human resources from Cuba than from many, many NGOs [non-governmental organisations] put together,” he continued.
Last week, the deployment continued with over 90 more doctors to the Ebola-ravaged nations in West Africa. These doctors arrived in Liberia and Guinea. The US recently sent troops and the WHO has been asking for assistance as the numbers increase to around 10 000 cases with almost 5 000 deaths.
Over 160 workers are already in Liberia.
The island has pledged even more support on the heels of the grim news from WHO that numbers of cases could reach 1.4 million by January without international intervention.
Four hundred and sixty one doctors and nurses are currently undergoing specialist training for the mission to the affected countries.
“We cannot see our brothers from Africa in difficult times and remain there with our arms folded,” the Cuban Ambassador to Liberia, Jorge Lefebre Nicolas, told Reuters news agency.
Humanitarian agencies have lauded Cuba’s response and these include the United States.
Saying that the international response had been slow, Sean Casey, Director of the International Medical Corps said, “The virus is spreading faster than we’re all setting up. It’s good that the Cubans are coming. We need more countries to step up.”
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry nevertheless lauded Cuba for its “impressive” efforts to tackle Ebola. The United States and Cuba have had strained relations for decades.
“Cuba, a country of just 11 million people, has sent 165 health professionals and it plans to send nearly 300 more,” he told foreign diplomats. Kerry further indicated that the US was happy to collaborate with Cuba to help stem the tide of the deadly virus at its source.