Cuba is grappling with a severe public health crisis, marked by a confirmed chikungunya epidemic and widespread shortages of essential resources [[1]]. As the island nation faces its most important economic challenges in decades, medical organizations are sounding the alarm over the government’s handling of the outbreak and alleged diversion of critical aid [[2]], [[3]]. NGOs are now urgently calling for a formal declaration of a health emergency to facilitate international intervention and ensure aid reaches those in need.
Cuba is facing a growing public health crisis, prompting medical organizations to call for a health emergency declaration following the government’s official acknowledgement of a chikungunya epidemic.
The situation highlights the vulnerability of public health systems to outbreaks and the importance of international collaboration in addressing health emergencies.
During a press conference held November 26th in Miami, Taimy Alfonso, president of Cruz Verde Internacional, denounced the diversion of humanitarian aid sent from abroad, adding to the existing health challenges in Cuba.
“We are tired of sending things to help people only to have them stolen and then sold,” Alfonso lamented. “We are willing to continue helping, but the aid must not be stolen. Things must be delivered directly to those affected, because this people can’t take it anymore: they have no money, no food, nothing. It’s a tragedy.”
Solidaridad Sin Fronteras echoed these concerns, reporting that the Cuban government is confiscating medical donations and essential supplies intended for those in need.
“We cannot stand by while our brothers and sisters, our children, our pregnant women, our elderly are dying like animals,” stated Julio César Alfonso, president of the NGO.
The Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) has confirmed an outbreak of chikungunya, officially reporting more than 31,000 suspected cases. However, Cuban doctors in exile believe the actual number of cases is significantly higher.
“We do not know the real numbers, and they are hiding them to avoid affecting their image and international tourism,” said Dr. Alfredo Melgar, founder of Solidaridad Sin Fronteras.
Ramón Saúl Sánchez, president of the Movimiento Democracia, denounced that “the dictatorship is not acknowledging the drama that the Cuban people are experiencing” and indicated that multiple communities on the island “report deaths every day.”
The NGOs have also raised concerns about the risk to travelers and are urging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to elevate the health alert for Cuba to Level 4 – the highest level, which recommends against travel to the island. Currently, the advisory remains at Level 2, advising caution while traveling.
Solidaridad Sin Fronteras and Cruz Verde Internacional are calling on other organizations to join a joint petition to multilateral bodies, advocating for an urgent health intervention in Cuba to save lives and prevent a larger catastrophe.
The Cuban government acknowledged last week that the country is experiencing an epidemia of chikungunya, alongside ongoing diagnoses of dengue fever.
Reports indicate no cases of Oropouche virus since September, and no cases of Zika have been detected. However, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are present in the country, and the virus is circulating in the region, meaning the possibility of transmission remains. MINSAP states that they are maintaining epidemiological surveillance for this disease as a result.
