So were the words from Vice Minister of Public Health (Minsap), Dr. Carilda Peña, during the national ceremony for the World Day of Response to HIV, hosted by the western province of Matanzas, which became the venue in recognition to its good performance dealing with HIV.

Cuban media quoted Dr. Peña as highlighting the work by an operational group in charge of supporting the HIV/AIDS prevention and control program, with particular emphasis on challenges in the area of sexual health and reproductive rights, the digital version of Granma newspaper indicated.

Currently, 34,125 Cubans are living with HIV, with all their medical needs tended for.

Of that number, 89 percent live with a suppressed viral load and 97 percent are getting antiretroviral treatment, free and accessible anywhere in the nation. Dr. Peña recalled that the Cuban state ensures that people with HIV/AIDS enjoy protection with legal backing, something unthinkable in much of the world, as a consequence, according to experts, of the constant violation of human rights.

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