Havana, Cuba.- Director General of WHO Tedros Adhanom explained here today the main work projects of this organization, focused on comprehensive health care from a joint work with primary care.

Adhanom told Prensa Latina news agency that this is the main focus of WHO’s work, ‘the basis of everything is on primary care, health should reach communities and not the other way around’, he said.

Adhanom, who took his incumbent post last year, said that this is only achieved with the presence of health centers settled in the communities, ‘this is what Cuba does with its primary care model’, he said.

A VIP guest in the International Convention Cuba Salud 2018, running here with more than 2,500 delegates from 93 countries, Adhanom also said that these two issues are the basis of a second priority for WHO.

He referred to the way communicable diseases such as malaria and hepatitis are handled, as well as non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, among other conditions.

For the Ethiopian official, the first African to hold office since WHO was founded in 1948, dealing with these diseases depends on each country.

Adhanom highlighted Cuba’s achievements in its health system and explained, in his opinion, the reasons why the delegates are participating in this convention here.

‘Cuba is the best example, a model, to show what can be done for everyone’s health and WHO has the opinion that this country has much to offer, the countries participating in this event have many reasons to come to Cuba’, he said.

He described the work done by Cuba to achieve the comprehensive health care as essential.

‘In Cuba, there is not only comprehensive access to health services, but there are also vaccines produced, and 8 out of the 13 vaccines that benefit children are produced here as well as a large amount of Cuba’s essential medicines’, he said.

He said that Cuba is always willing to cooperate with other countries and more than 48,000 Cuban specialists offer their services in other States.