Havana, Cuba. - Official statistics of institutions like the World Health Organization reveal a regrettable reality. More than 37 million people in the world are blind because of preventable causes, of which more than a million and a half are children.

The contrast is evident. In developed countries, only 0.25 % of the population suffers blindness, while in poor countries with deficient health care services, this index reaches 1%.

Cataracts are the preventable cause of more than 50% of the blindness cases in the world. From 2 to 4 000 surgeries per million people are required every year in order to gradually eradicate this ailment.

According to WHO, only highly developed countries have attained those indexes. This is mainly because of little accessibility to medical services and the high surgical costs that prevail in developing countries.

Nevertheless, Cuban and Venezuelan presidents Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez signed a cooperation agreement 5 years ago. It provided for a cooperation program between both peoples to assist patients with eyes diseases.

This is how Mission Miracle was born. It eventually became a solidarity and humanism banner within the current Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of America.

Until today, 1 380 869 patients have benefited from this program. Out of those, 1 113 602 were operated in 61 ophthalmology centers, with 92 surgical units, donated by Cuba to 20 countries. The remaining 267 267 were operated in our country.

It is worth highlighting that only in Venezuela, 600 Comprehensive Diagnosis Centers, 600 Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Wards and 35 High Technology Centers have been built. They all offer free highly professional medical services to the Venezuelan people, with the support of Cuban specialists and technologies.

It also allowed for the training of 40 000 medical doctors and 5 000 specialists in Health Technology, plus 10 000 that traveled to Cuba to study medical science and nursing.

In a very short time, ALBA also freed from ignorance 2, 6 million illiterates in that country.

ALBA proves everyday what Fidel said in a Petrocaribe meeting: “Unity and integration are the only way for our peoples to survive.”


Translated by: Pedro A. Fanego

( 03.12.2009 10:13 AM )