The Program of the United Nations for Development (UNDP) in Cuba will implement financing of more than 40 million euros to strengthen the island’s biopharmaceutical industry, according to official sources.
The loan, signed by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and with a total value of 46.7 million euros, is intended to “improve the national response capacity against diseases such as COVID-19,” he says. an office from the agency Latin Press (PL).
The report, which cites a statement of the UNDP, points out that the execution of the budget contemplates “the reinforcement of the infrastructure for the production of injectable antibiotics, parenteral solutions (serums), generic and biosimilar medicines, diagnostics and medical equipment.”
UNDP will implement the first financing subscribed by the @CABEI_Org for Cuba, with the execution of the Industry Strengthening Project #biopharmaceuticalaimed at improving the national response capacity against diseases such as COVID 19.
➕https://t.co/m98k8DQvfl pic.twitter.com/Qr9dyKNEj9– UNDP Cuba (@PNUDCuba) September 23, 2022
The communication ensures that the financing will impact “the treatment of people infected with COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, as well as the acquisition of health supplies and medical protection material to prevent contagion.”
“Through the strengthening of the pharmaceutical industry and the production of 200 million doses of vaccines, higher levels of economic productivity are expected to be achieved through the development of innovative medicines and the modernization of technology, which will contribute to diversification for the benefit of the national health system and other countries in the region,” adds the UNDP office on the island.
The entity assures that “it will carry out the acquisitions of the project in accordance with its acquisition policies and regulations”, while affirming that BioCubaFarma, in alliance with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX), the Central Bank of Cuba (BCC) and the Ministry of Finance and Prices (MFP), will have “a key role” in the execution of the actions, which will be carried out in 10 of the companies of that state group.
For his part, Dante Mossi, executive president of CABEI, commented that the initiative is “a health support response to protect the lives of Cuban families by strengthening the health system,” he says. PLwhose report adds that this financial entity granted the loan under the specialized mechanism established for activities and operations with Cuba.
The agency recalls that UNDP collaborates globally with a view to building resilience in the face of the multidimensional crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In its Cuban chapter, that United Nations institution has supported “the implementation of donations to strengthen the production capacities of medicines, medical supplies and food, as part of the commitments of its Cooperation Framework with the country,” he concludes. information.
