This was stated by the First Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, Jose Fidel Santana, at a forum of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

At this event on science, technology and innovation, in which many parties are interested, he stressed the importance of knowledge and novel products, cooperation and international solidarity, for the right to health, respect for peace and the development of peoples.

He also spoke about progress made by Cuba in facing the health crisis, despite the obstacles imposed by the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade.

According to the Cuban deputy minister, Cuba’s greatest merit in this stage of the pandemic has been to show results amid adverse conditions, with a tightened US blockade.

The blockade prevents access to new technologies, drugs, fuels, financing, knowledge and information, which makes it a more genocidal policy in these times of health crisis, Santana said.

Despite this, he added, Cuba has five vaccine candidates, two of them, Soberana 02 and Abdala, in Phase III of clinical trials.

A third candidate, Soberana Plus, currently in Phase II, was conceived especially for confirmed Covid-19 patients, and may be the only one of its kind in the world, he said.

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