A Cuban medical researcher studies cancer. Photo: X/@AicaLaboratorio.
By Sputnik – Jun 9, 2026
Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel announced the reactivation of production of 16 essential cancer treatment drugs under the framework of the PICC, the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. The measure seeks to reinforce the availability of therapies in the public health system amid economic constraints and the tightening of the US blockade, according to media reports.
In April, the pharmaceutical company BioCubaFarma announced the expansion of capacity at the cytostatic drug plant of AICA Pharmaceutical Laboratories. According to the announcement, the development constitutes “a strategic step for securing these medications,” which fall under the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.
“The tightening of the blockade undoubtedly impacts delivery timelines, but we are working to restart these productions and deliver these medications to the health system. That is our commitment,” the company stated.
Less than two months later, the promise began to take shape. On June 7, AICA resumed the production of cytostatic drugs in order to guarantee access to cancer treatments in Cuba—”news that ratifies the will of the Cuban state to prioritize the life and health of its people,” as the newspaper Granma highlighted.
The Cuban president himself described this achievement as the “fruit of an investment” that expands capacity while guaranteeing health sovereignty and hope for the people.
What is the PICC?
The PICC is Cuba’s main public policy for preventing, diagnosing, treating, and controlling cancer. It emerged from the reorganization of the oncology system initiated in 2006 with the creation of the National Cancer Control Unit, which in 2010 became the Independent Cancer Control Section (SICC).
The SICC is the unit of Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health responsible for directing and coordinating the implementation of the PICC. It oversees the implementation of oncology policies and coordinates the work of institutions involved in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, research, and palliative care.
The PICC establishes what the health system must do to combat cancer, while the SICC is responsible for putting those policies into practice. Implementation is carried out through the National Cancer Control Strategy (ENCC).
The ENCC’s main objective is to contribute to the improvement of cancer control management. At the political level, it strengthens institutional coordination and intersectoral work. At the economic level, it optimizes the use of resources and improves the efficiency of the health system. At the social level, it promotes prevention, community participation, and a better quality of life for the population.
Cuba resumes cytostatic production under “severe limitations”
Among the greatest challenges facing Cuba’s healthcare system are the restrictions stemming from the criminal US blockade, which affect cancer patient care on the island by hindering access to oncological treatment medications and the supplies needed for their local production.
The reactivation of production of 16 cytostatic drugs in Cuba demonstrates the government’s will to continue working for the wellbeing and health of the people, noted Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez recently.
“It takes place amid severe economic limitations caused by the extreme tightening of the blockade and an unprecedented energy siege,” wrote the minister in a public statement. “Every drug produced in this plant represents sovereignty, hope, and commitment to the right to health of all Cubans.”
“Health must be protected at all costs”
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation in Cuba as worrying and warned that energy difficulties are affecting the delivery of health services on the island.
“Health must be protected at all costs and must never be left at the mercy of geopolitics, energy blockades, and power cuts,” he wrote in a public statement.
“Children are dying”
The tightening of the US blockade is affecting essential services such as oncology and maternal health, and is contributing to rising infant mortality, warned UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
“There are children dying because doctors do not have access to medical supplies and essential medications. This is unacceptable,” he stated.
Cooperation endures in the face of every challenge
Despite the limitations imposed by the US blockade, Cuba is not halting its fight against cancer. On the contrary, it is expanding international cooperation, including—among its most recent announcements—the signing of a memorandum with Russia for the joint development of cancer vaccines.
Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals are among the key areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, noted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Chernyshenko at the recently held St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“Our partnership is destined to become an example of a new architecture for international economic cooperation in a multipolar world,” he stated.
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(Noticias Latam) by Sputnik
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/CB/SL
Cameron Baillie is an award-winning journalist, editor, and researcher. He won and was shortlisted for awards across Britain and Ireland. He is Editor-in-Chief of New Sociological Perspectives graduate journal and Commissioning Editor at The Student Intifada newsletter. He spent the first half of 2025 living, working, and writing in Ecuador. He does news translation and proofreading work with The Orinoco Tribune.
