Myrta Kaulard, resident coordinator of the United Nations System in Cuba. (Picture: telepinar.icrt.cu)

Cuba has a long tradition in South-South cooperation and a strong presence in countries of the area, where it excels for its development in health and education, asserted in Havana Myrta Kaulard, resident coordinator of the United Nations System in the country.

The region’s States have a lot to learn from the island, since the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experiences are essential elements to achieve objectives, both the Millennium and Sustainable development goals, Kaulard told ACN on October 21.

She mentioned Cuba’s fast response in the face of natural disasters and said that it is necessary to share its Civil Defense model as well as its legal framework and methodologies, which make an efficient work of that organization possible.

She underlined that agencies such as the United Nations Development Program promote South-South cooperation with the Caribbean nation, for the good results it shows in many sectors.

“Cuba has very important achievements, particularly in health, HIV-AIDS spreading is very limited, and the elimination of the mother-child transmission was recently certified”, stressed Kaulard.

She recalled that during her stay in Haiti Cuban physicians were helping that nation hit by cholera, and expressed that missions are strength and a way to share knowledge.

Kaulard pointed out that fast population aging is a challenge for Latin America and the Caribbean. In this regard, Cuba could establish a strong alliance with countries of valuable initiatives, “such is the case of Uruguay, where there are cooperatives for the care of older people”, she commented.