On Twitter, on the day’s celebration of International Children’s Day, Rodriguez recalled how Cuba guarantees the indispensable resources for the life and development of that population group.

‘The Cuban State guarantees, among others, the full right of girls and boys to health, education, security, social assistance and food, which are indispensable for life, survival and development,’ he tweeted.

Likewise, the foreign minister recalled on the tweet a phrase of Cuba’s National Hero, Jose Marti, ‘Children are the hope of the world.’ According to the Situation of Children in Cuba report, by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the country ‘has shown a strong political will to guarantee the adequate development and welfare of its children.’

Different data and research show the high level of protection of this population group, especially in relation to educational coverage and maternal and child health care, according to the agency.

The State prioritizes the integral development of early childhood with initiatives such as the Mother and Child Care Program, the Educate Your Child Program and day care centers.

Likewise, the government offers guarantees to people with disabilities in order to improve their quality of life and equal opportunities.

In addition, in 2015, Cuba became the first country to receive validation from the World Health Organization that it has eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and syphilis.

As UNICEF pointed out, Cuba has a little over 11 million inhabitants, of which 2.3 million are under 18 years old, that is, about 21 percent of the total.

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