Feature photo (above): Cuban doctors in Italy pose with Fidel Castro’s portriat. (Credit: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images via: https://capx.co/cuba-is-no-coronavirus-hero/
By Ayuba Wbba
THE Nigeria Labour Congress joins the rest of the global working class and the
progressive communities all over the world to call for the nomination of Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade was created on 19th September 2005, in response to the hurricane Katrina to New Orleans in the United States, which toll included 1,336 casualties and losses worth 75 billion dollars. The Brigade was called Henry Reeve as a tribute to an American young man, born in Brooklyn, New York, who joined the detachment of Cuban patriots that landed on the Eastern coasts of Cuba on 4 May 1869 to take part in the independence war against Spanish colonial domination, which had begun in October 1868. In the history of Cuba, Henry Reeve became a paradigm of international solidarity.
The Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade has developed a very robust modus operandi response to incidences of disasters and humanitarian distress in the past 15 years of its existence. When an adverse healthcare incident takes place, brigade members are immediately mobilized within 24 to 48 hours depending on the type of event. Most of its members have experience in international health missions, but participation is voluntary. The group’s mission is to provide humanitarian and medical assistance to the population of countries hit by natural disasters and epidemics, and contribute to their recovery.
The basic principles of the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade include the defense and exercise of the human right to health, which entails free-of-charge universal access to health and universal health coverage for people and communities without distinction of race, religion, political ideology or economic and social status. This comprises the timely provision of adequate comprehensive services adjusted to people’s specific needs.
It also includes the promotion of the human right to peace, which means defending the full enjoyment of the rights that derive from the human dignity of the human person, including the right to life. This entails promoting international dialogue and cooperation for the purpose of improving the health indicators of the population, on the basis of respect and in consideration of the needs of the countries requesting assistance. The Brigade responds to the occurrence of emergency or disaster situations or epidemics, which may ultimately become an obstacle to peace, and it recognizes the full development of a culture of peace.
Since its creation, the Brigade has completed 20 medical missions specialized in addressing natural disaster situations, more specifically 8 after the floods in Guatemala (2005), Bolivia (2006), Belize (2007), Mexico (2007), El Salvador (2009), Chile (2015), Peru (2017), and Sierra Leone (2017), 7 after the earthquakes that hit Pakistan (2005), Indonesia (2006), Peru (2007), China (2008), Chile (2010), Nepal (2015), and Ecuador (2016), and 5 after the hurricanes striking Haiti (2016), Fiji (2016), Dominica (2017), Mexico (2017) and Mozambique (2019). More than 4,000 healthcare professionals took part in these missions and delivered care to more than 3 million patients.
The third principle of the group is Humanism. This is a reaffirmation of human dignity, on the basis of equality and social justice; it means contributing to the development of peoples, in particular, by providing them with health care. Finally, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade is principled on Solidarity. The group exemplifies solidarity by uniting individuals and peoples in a manner that the well-being of one promotes that of another. This is the basis for mutual support and collaboration between peoples and nations, regardless of the differences in political and socioeconomic systems or levels of development, while promoting tolerance; respect for traditions and culture; and peace.
Since its inception, the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade has achieved remarkable results that position it for a Noble Peace Prize Award. Up to 10 August 2020, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade had provided assistance to 45 nations and 5 non-self-governing territories.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the Brigade has worked in 22 states: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize (twice), Bolivia, Chile (twice), Dominica (twice), Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Grenada, Haiti (four times), Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico (three times), Nicaragua, Peru (twice), Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. It has also served in 5 countries of Asia and Oceania: China, Fiji, Indonesia, Nepal and Pakistan; in 12 nations of Africa south of the Sahara: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry (twice), Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone (twice), São Tomé and Príncipe, South Africa and Togo; in three North Africa and Middle East countries: United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait; and in three European states: Andorra, Azerbaijan and Italy. The Brigade has served in some non-self-governing British territories: Anguilla, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands, Montserrat, and Martinique which is an overseas department of France.
More than 9,000 Cuban healthcare professionals have participated in these missions. They have delivered medical care to approximately 4 million people and have saved the lives of more than 89,000 people.
The first emergency situation the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade had to face took place just a few days after it was created, in Guatemala, where they had to assist the population affected by the floods of October 2005. A total of 688 healthcare professionals treated over 477,000 people and saved more than 1,300 lives.
Since its creation, the Brigade has completed 20 medical missions specialized in addressing natural disaster situations, more specifically 8 after the floods in Guatemala (2005), Bolivia (2006), Belize (2007), Mexico (2007), El Salvador (2009), Chile (2015), Peru (2017), and Sierra Leone (2017), 7 after the earthquakes that hit Pakistan (2005), Indonesia (2006), Peru (2007), China (2008), Chile (2010), Nepal (2015), and Ecuador (2016), and 5 after the hurricanes striking Haiti (2016), Fiji (2016), Dominica (2017), Mexico (2017) and Mozambique (2019). More than 4,000 healthcare professionals took part in these missions and delivered care to more than 3 million patients.
In the course of these 15 years, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade has been part of the international efforts to increase cooperation between nations in the health care sector. During this period, 71 medical brigades have been formed, including 46 to fight COVID-19, three to deal with the Ebola epidemic, two to combat the cholera epidemic, and 20 to respond to natural disaster situations, out of which eight are specialized in floods, seven in earthquakes and five in hurricanes.
The Brigade carried out a particularly remarkable work in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Pakistan in October 2005, causing the loss of 70,000 lives and injuries to 100,000 people and leaving 3 million people homeless. In a span of almost eight months, over 2,000 Cuban healthcare workers treated more than 1,700,000 patients. Over 14,000 surgeries were performed and more than 166,000 survivors received specialized rehabilitation services; more than 2,000 lives were saved.
As a result of the cooperation established with the World Health Organization (WHO), in less than two weeks 5,000 Cuban doctors and nurses from the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade volunteered to assist in combating the Ebola epidemic. Out of them, more than 500 professionals were chosen for training and 256 were finally selected to participate in the fight against Ebola.
In 2010, Cuban doctors had already been engaged in the fight against a cholera epidemic in Haiti, lending medical assistance to more than 400,000 people and saving the lives of approximately 76,000 patients. Just like in 2010, in 2014 the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade worked in the Ebola treatment centers in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea Conakry, taking care of more than 2,000 patients. This was the only medical mission that provided direct medical assistance to Ebola patients. During this period, two brigade members died of malaria and another one contracted Ebola.
When the Novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic and became the greatest health threat the world has faced in the 21st century, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade prepared to help any nation that would request its assistance. Within the first five months of the pandemic, the Brigade has gone to 38 states, treated 355,785 people and saved 9,736 lives. More than 3,700 Cuban healthcare professionals took part in these missions; 61.2% of them are women.
In the course of these 15 years, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade has been part of the international efforts to increase cooperation between nations in the health care sector. During this period, 71 medical brigades have been formed, including 46 to fight COVID-19, three to deal with the Ebola epidemic, two to combat the cholera epidemic, and 20 to respond to natural disaster situations, out of which eight are specialized in floods, seven in earthquakes and five in hurricanes.
Forty-five brigades were specially created to fight the pandemic, 38 of which are still delivering care in 29 nations (Angola, Azerbaijan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Cape Verde, Dominica, United Arab Emirates, Grenada, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Mexico, Peru, Qatar, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo and Venezuela) and 5 non-self-governing territories (Anguilla, Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Martinique and Montserrat).
The Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade has been present in most regions of the world, including 2 states of Central America, namely Nicaragua and Honduras, and Mexico. In the latter, there were four specialized medical brigades from Cuba. The six Cuban medical missions in the region have treated more than 80,000 patients. The Brigade has also assisted 12 Caribbean countries, namely Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Jamaica, Grenada, Haiti, Belize, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, where it has provided health care services to around 33,000 people. Moreover, the Brigade has contributed to combating the pandemic in South America, more specifically in Venezuela and in Peru with four brigades, treating approximately 19,000 people.
Four Cuban medical brigades have gone to Europe to join the domestic efforts in the fight against the pandemic in Italy (2 brigades were sent to Lombardy and Piedmont), Andorra, and Azerbaijan, where they have provided their services to more than 16,000 people. Furthermore, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade has helped several non-self-governing British territories (Anguilla, Turks and Caicos Islands, Virgin Islands and Montserrat) and Martinique, which is an overseas department of France, treating more than a thousand patients.
In Africa, 10 Cuban medical brigades delivered care to about 38,000 people in Angola, Togo, Cape Verde, South Africa, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and Kenya. In the Middle East, four medical brigades worked in Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, treating more than 138,000 patients.
On 26 May 2017, the World Health Organization awarded the Dr. LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health to the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade Specialized in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics in the 70th World Health Assembly. This prize was given in recognition of the medical assistance lent by the Brigade in emergency situations. When presenting the award, Yohan Ihn, President of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, said that “the Henry Reeve Brigade has disseminated a message of hope to the whole world”.
On 13 August 2020, the National Congress of Honduras approved the award of the high decoration known as the “Cruz de Comendador” (the Commander’s Cross) to the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade for its outstanding contribution to the health of the Honduran people and the results achieved in combating COVID-19 in their country.
In the course of these 15 years, the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade has been part of the international efforts to increase cooperation between nations in the health care sector. During this period, 71 medical brigades have been formed, including 46 to fight COVID-19, three to deal with the Ebola epidemic, two to combat the cholera epidemic, and 20 to respond to natural disaster situations, out of which eight are specialized in floods, seven in earthquakes and five in hurricanes.
In light of the foregoing, it is the NLC’s well measured and unbiased opinion that no other body is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade which has remained actively engaged in humanitarian missions across the world. It would be great if Reeve International Medical Brigade is awarded the Nobel Prize this year.
Comrade Wabba, mni, NLC/ITUC President, signed the above article as an undated Press Release from the Nigeria Labour Congress and made available to National Record on Wednesday, September 23, 2020.
