HAVANA.- The Minister of Public Health of Cuba, José Ángel Portal Miranda, reviewed the results of his Ministry during 2018 and discussed the priorities, goals and challenges for 2019.

In the meeting, with the presence of President Diaz-Canel, the Minister pointed out that in 2018 "the National Health System continued the process of necessary transformations in the sector, in accordance with the Guidelines of the VII Party Congress, to improve the state of health of the population, increase quality and satisfaction with the services provided, and achieve greater efficiency of the system, so that it can be sustainable and develop.

Among other parameters of quality of services, reported that infant mortality kept the lowest rate in history for the second consecutive year (four deaths per thousand live births). Fourteen infectious diseases remain eliminated, nine others are not problems, and five show incidence at very low levels.

Twenty-nine communicable diseases and clinical forms are controlled, 18 of them by vaccine, and the coverage of all vaccines in population groups was more than 98%. At the same time, prevention actions against sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS were increased.

Portal Miranda reviewed the work of Minsap in all its aspects. One of many was the basic table of drugs, reported that this has 761 products, 273 imported and 488 from the national industry, as well as 153 lines of natural products (nine more than the previous year), 97 local productions and 56 made by the industry.

He explained that the total shortages in December closed in 36 products, of which 30 were domestic and six imported, "keeping track of shortages and low coverage, adopting joint measures with BioCubaFarma for the definition of priorities in the acquisition of raw materials, and the production and distribution of medicines, as well as to ensure timely financing.