In May, a further £16,500 was spent on equipment to help Cuba treat and vaccinate its people as part of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign’s COVID-19 Medical Appeal.
Since launching the appeal in mid-April, over £35,000 has been raised by CSC members, affiliates and supporters to help the island’s health workers fight the pandemic. In April, £8,700 was spent on raw materials which were urgently needed for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines.
The second consignment includes specialist equipment for Cuba’s testing and vaccination programme including cryotubes for transporting test samples, serums and compounds used to manufacture drugs to treat patients with COVID-19. Working in close collaboration with Cuban partners we were able to source the latest products from a company in Switzerland and ship them direct to Cuba.
Although Cuba’s rates of infection and deaths from the disease are low compared to the world average, cases in 2021 have peaked with new variants, and current daily rates of infection are around 1,100, with 10 deaths a day.
As many will be aware, the US blockade makes financial transactions and shipping materials to the island incredibly complicated, sometimes even preventing donations to European based organisations fundraising for Cuba. However, we have been able to ensure that all donations have been successfully processed, and we are now following Cuban guidance to source, purchase and deliver the next consignment of essential medical aid to assist the Cuban people in the pandemic.
The Cuba Solidarity Campaign covers the costs of all banking and transfer charges to ensure every penny donated goes directly towards buying essential medical supplies in the fight against COVID-19.
Further details of income from the appeal and what it has been used for will be updated on our website and in CubaSí magazine. Please help to raise awareness of this appeal with your friends, family and colleagues by sharing it on social media and by email.
Once again we would like to thank everyone who has donated to this appeal. You can also read a letter of thanks from Cuba here.