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The Cuban regime dismissed the existence of an epidemic of hepatitis A on the island this Monday, despite documented outbreaks between March and April in several provinces, and simultaneously acknowledged that the overall health situation is "very complex" due to the energy crisis.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Julio Guerra, assured the EFE agency that "the epidemiological situation in Cuba has not changed" and that the country "is not experiencing an epidemic" of hepatitis A, referring to the reported cases in provinces such as Matanzas, Pinar del Río, and Camagüey.
The lack of electricity affects water pumping, complicates food preservation, and worsens hygienic conditions in hospitals and homes, a situation that both specialists and citizens associate with an increase in infectious diseases.
The official denial follows the same pattern that was seen during the dengue and chikungunya epidemics of 2025, when the government took months to formally acknowledge it, even though the first cases were diagnosed in July and infections surged in September and October.
In Matanzas, the most serious outbreak, authorities confirmed 18 active cases of hepatitis A in the Versalles neighborhood on May 4th, with additional cases in Cárdenas and in most municipalities of the province.
In Camagüey, citizens and seemingly healthcare personnel reported on social media between 30 and 40 positive cases daily during April, while local authorities acknowledged only a "notable increase" but formally denied an outbreak.
The structural cause of the infections is the collapse of water and sanitation infrastructure.
More than 300,000 residents of Matanzas lack a stable water supply, informal wells increased from twenty to over forty between October 2025 and March 2026—many dug near septic tanks—and in February 2025, fecal contamination by coliforms was detected in the Bello water source.
The director of the Provincial Hygiene Center of Matanzas himself acknowledged that "not everyone has the means to boil water, whether because they lack gas or have to use coal."
Beyond hepatitis A, Deputy Minister Guerra acknowledged a situation of extreme health severity. It is "very difficult to open the surgical waiting list without the necessary resources and materials," and the patients awaiting surgery exceed 96,000, including more than 11,000 children.
That figure was announced in March by the Minister of Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, and has not been updated since then.
Guerra also acknowledged that "there continues to be a shortage of medication supplies" and that "we are also unable to import the quantity of medications or supplies needed" to meet demand, partly due to the reduction of flights and vessels entering the country.
The basic medicine list includes 651 items, of which 250 are imported and 401 are domestically produced.
Regarding dengue and chikungunya, Havana has not informed the public about the evolution of cases since last December, although it reported to the Pan American Health Organization that in January alone there were 1,457 new cases of chikungunya and two additional deaths, following the 65 fatalities and 81,909 infections caused by the epidemic of 2025.
Deputy Minister Guerra stated that the government is now preparing for the summer with the aim of addressing potential outbreaks of arboviruses, "especially dengue and any other diseases transmitted by mosquitoes." This warning comes as the health system operates, according to dossier data, with only 30% of the essential medication available.
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