This Friday, Cuba donated a batch of 458,000 doses of its Soberana 02 COVID-19 vaccine to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), destined for the pediatric population of that country.
The African nation’s ambassador accredited in Havana, Mohamed Salec Abdesamad, praised the gesture on behalf of his people and government at a ceremony held at the Finlay Institute of Vaccines (IFV), creator of the immunogen, in Cuba’s capital.
The diplomat thanked Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel and all of Cuba, on behalf of the president of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and the Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Gali.
Mohamed Salec Abdesamad assured that the doses will benefit the refugee population and residents in liberated territories.
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On the other hand, he condemned the economic, financial and commercial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba, and demanded its immediate cessation.
The diplomat thanks Cuba for its solidarity. Through its accomplishments in the vaccine development field, the Caribbean nation has been able to demonstrate its exemplary scientific capacity to the word, despite the extreme economic siege from which it has suffered for more than 60 years. The SADR diplomat highlighted the discovery and production of five vaccine candidates by Cuban scientists, three of them already converted into effective vaccines, as “worthy of going down in the history of humanity.”
Mohamed Salec Abdesamad also praised the internationalist work carried out by Cuban medical brigades in the most critical moments of the pandemic.
For her part, Cuba’s Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Deborah Rivas, commented that international cooperation opens the path towards a more equitable, fair, and sustainable world. She went on to express support for the Sahrawi people and government’s struggle to defend their territories and to achieve peace.
The official recalled that, to date, about 90% of Cuban citizens been completely vaccinated, while more than 1.6 million children are already protected against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
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“With our efforts, we achieved the first COVID-19 vaccines produced in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Rivas, “developed by Cuban scientists, that will combat the repercussions of the pandemic on the Sahrawi population.”
The Deputy Director of the IFV, Yuri Valdés, expressed pride that the products of his group’s work can reach both Cuban compatriots and those around the world in need.
Cuba maintains cordial relations with the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, evidenced in their collaboration in the field of health and education. Cuban medical personnel are present in SADR, and Cuban scholarships are granted to SADR students.
Featured image: This Friday, Cuba donated a batch of 458,000 doses of its Soberana 02 COVID-19 vaccine to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), destined for the pediatric population of that country.. Photo: ACN
(CubaNews) Translated by Walter Lippmann. Additional translation by Orinoco Tribune.
