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The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH) demanded on Tuesday that the Havana regime immediately declare a national health emergency, in light of the serious epidemiological situation facing the country with the simultaneous spread of several infectious diseases affecting the population at a scale that is not known.
In a statement released by the organization based in Madrid, the OCDH warned that Cuba is facing a serious health crisis, characterized by the collapse of hospital services, a total shortage of medications, and a lack of accurate diagnoses, which has officially resulted in – although there are reports suggesting a higher number – three deaths from dengue so far.
The reports and testimonies we have received in recent hours expose an alarming health crisis, highlighting a systemic incapacity of healthcare services to provide effective diagnoses and treatments,” the text stated.
Reports received from various provinces confirm the presence of three active epidemics: dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche, transmitted by mosquitoes and aggravated by a lack of fumigation and environmental cleanliness.
Entire neighborhoods remain infested, while the healthcare system lacks reagents, equipment, and sufficient personnel to contain the outbreaks.
According to the statement, those affected exhibit severe symptoms such as high fever, muscle pain, jaundice, profuse diarrhea, vomiting, and skin rashes.
These manifestations are especially dangerous for children, the elderly, pregnant women, and prisoners—groups that the OCDH considers to be at maximum vulnerability due to the lack of adequate medical attention.
"The Cuban people can no longer live among garbage, disease, and neglect. It is no longer possible to conceal this health catastrophe under official silence or disguise it as temporary difficulties," denounced the organization, which also criticized the authorities' secrecy and the information censorship regarding the true number of sick and deceased individuals.
Medical sources cited by the observatory stated that many Cubans refrain from going to healthcare centers, knowing there are no medicines, reagents, or even minimal conditions.
This widespread distrust prevents the formulation of an accurate national diagnosis, which —according to the OCDH— "paints an incomplete and dangerous epidemiological picture, where no one knows the extent of the severity of the problem."
The organization also reported that the lack of diagnostic tests and basic medications forces patients to turn to informal markets or rely on shipments from abroad.
"Families are purchasing antibiotics, pain relievers, and intravenous fluids through private networks or smuggling, while public hospitals are nearly empty," the report added.
The OCDH recalled that this crisis is a direct consequence of the institutional neglect of the healthcare system and the diversion of resources towards sectors controlled by the military conglomerate GAESA and medical service exports.
“It is outrageous that the regime continues to send doctors abroad and export biotechnological products while Cubans do not have access to a simple syringe or an antibiotic,” the statement expressed.
The organization requested that the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel officially acknowledge the crisis and that the resources of BioCubaFarma be redirected towards domestic consumption, prioritizing hospitals, polyclinics, and pharmacies.
He also called for an urgent plan for garbage collection, street cleaning, and the restoration of potable water supply as minimum measures for epidemic containment.
The OCDH concluded that the country is on the brink of a widespread health emergency, and that the only way to prevent a greater collapse is through information transparency, international cooperation, and the political will to prioritize the needs of the Cuban people over the interests of the power elites.
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