Cuba for the broader global response to TB

The Minister, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China during the second high-level meeting on the fight against this epidemic, stressed that the response requires prioritizing not only health needs but also from a broader perspective.

He warned that this event is timely because TB is a preventable and treatable disease and represents a critical challenge for countries of the South that are disproportionately affected.

But Portal added that the stagnation and setback in TB treatment faces obstacles such as structural inequality and in the financial system along with the difficulties caused by Covid-19.

At the same time, the Cuban representative noted the impact of unilateral coercive measures, which directly and negatively affect the health and well-being of its population.

He stressed that the Group of 77 and China reaffirm that these restrictions imposed on member states of the bloc do not contribute to economic and social development, and reiterate the urgent need to remove them.

Furthermore, resource support and international cooperation regarding technology transfer and capacity building are insufficient, while official development and financial aid commitments related to the disease have not been met.

In addition, funding and innovation in the field of tuberculosis barely reaches the half of the two billion dollars agreed upon annually in the 2018 political declaration.

He stressed that this would have a significant impact on the capabilities of the Global South.

The Cuban Minister rejected that during the political negotiations that preceded this meeting, some of the more developed countries tried to hide the disproportionate impact of tuberculosis on less fortunate countries.

He said that this stage should have been more comprehensive, transparent and balanced, a practice that the group could not tolerate or accept in the future.

meem/ebr