The health of the people is a means and objective to reach sustainable development, Cuba''s Deputy Public Health Minister Marcia Cobas stated here today.
For that reason, we have to confront problems derived from multiple crisis and the existence of larger inequalities, the minister said after speaking during the second working day of the Second Meeting of Ministers of the sector from African, Caribbean and Pacific regions.
We live complex situations, characterized by systematic and multidimensional crises, armed conflicts, and lost of social achievements. In that scenery, the public health confronts increasing challenges, Cobas said.
Undoubtedly, that which has received more attention internationally is the lethal Ebola virus epidemic affecting West African countries, she added.
Confronting those realities is extremely complex for the weakness of many health systems, united to the shortage of human resources, limitations in access to medicines and vaccines, and acute decrease of the Official Assistance to Development, she stressed.
The official highlighted that we require of fairer and more inclusive societies with a better wealth and income distribution, quality education and health for everyone, eradication of illiteracy, poverty, and achievement of food security, as matters of vital importance for human life.
Achieving that the Sustainable Development Goals and the Post-2015 Development Agenda place man as an object and subject of the process is our collective responsibility. Cuba can count in that effort, she said.
Despite those achievements, our system is constantly improving, to make it efficient and sustainable, increase quality and satisfaction with services, and continue raising the health status of the Cuban population.