CUBA CULTURE SECTION - Havana Journal > Science & Health
Recent News and Information
Jeff Franks | Reuters
Five members of Britain’s Royal Ballet came down with the H1N1 swine flu virus during their just-ended visit to Cuba, but all have recovered, a spokeswoman for the dance company said on Monday.
Tests confirmed the dancers had the virus, they were isolated and given flu medicine the ballet had brought along on its first trip to Havana, said spokeswoman Elizabeth Bell.
The outbreak forced some personnel shuffling among the 96 dancers, but performances went on as scheduled.
“It was contained and the show went on,” she said. “They are all well now.”
A sixth dancer…
more…
By Alexis Rojas Aguilera | Ahora.cu
Work on constructing the fourth wind farm in Cuba, is being carried out in Punta Rasa, about three kilometres from the coastal city of Gibara, in Holguin.
Luis San Juan, director of the National Group for Renewable Energy, told AIN that six Golwind S-50 machines with Chinese technology will be installed, which will have a capacity of 4.5 megawatts.
When the wind farm is completed, the potential of renewable energy should reach 9.6 megawatts which will be the biggest electricity generator in Cuba.
He explained that the necessary equipment for the construction of the…
more…
Canada East
President Raul Castro’s daughter Mariela led hundreds of Cuban gays in a street dance Saturday to draw attention to gay rights on the island.
Participants formed a carnival-style conga line around two city blocks to beat the of drums, accompanied by costumed stilt-walkers.
Events also included educational panels and presentations for books, magazines and CDs about gay rights and sexual diversity.
Attending the program’s opening, National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon said that Cuba has advanced in recent years in the area of gay rights.
The communist government discriminated against homosexuals - even sending some to work camps -…
more…
By Mohd Azril Mohd Annuar and Syed Azwan Ali | Bernama
A decade has yet to pass since Malaysia and Cuba inked a scientific agreement but both are already reaping great rewards and benefits through this mutual cooperation with greater possibilities looming on the horizon.
The greatest achievement for both nations so far is in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields where a dynamic relationship has evolved with Malaysia’s expertise in the production line goes hand in hand with Cuba’s research capabilities and experience in the medical and intellectual realm.
“We (Malaysia and Cuba) are like two sides of the same…
more…
By HARVEY RICE | HOUSTON CHRONICLE
When Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas was ushered into a former naval academy with badly faded paint on this island nation last week, she wasn’t prepared for what she found.
The revelation that more than 100 U.S. students are enrolled in a Cuban medical school surprised Thomas, who made a fact-finding trip to the country last week.
Thomas and her contingent, in Cuba to learn how Cubans prepare for hurricanes, were introduced to medical students from Boston, New York, Pennsylvania and Arizona.
“They are all just as American as they can be and they…
more…
Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
Cuba appears to feel compelled to release an article that downplays the effectiveness of Escozul and to announce that it does not claim Escozul to be a medicament (An agent that promotes recovery from injury or ailment; a medicine) or cancer treatment drug.
Use of Blue Scorpion Venom Not Authorized by Cuba
BY José A. de la Osa | Periodico26.cu
Cuba has not obtained any pharmaceutical product from the venom of a blue scorpion species (Rhopalurus junceus) that could be considered a medicament, according to the national and international norms established for drugs to…
more…
Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
Quoting a variety of sources such as Granma.cu, ACN, Prensa Latina and Ahora.cu
Cuba is broadening the use of a biological drug, produced locally, which has raised the survival rate of people who have undergone brain tumor surgery, especially children.
The cancer treatment drug Nimotuzumab or CIMAher was produced by Cuban scientists at the Molecular Immunology Center (CIM) in Cuba. It consists of a monoclonal antibody that inhibits the tumor growth and has been proved effective in the treatment of head and neck tumors, when applied in combination with chemotherapy.
It is currently used on…
more…
Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
The Nanotechnologies College of the University of Havana to be nicknamed “NanoUH”, was inaugurated recently in an important step to develop the nanotechnology industry in Cuba.
Nanotechnology or nanotech refers to a field of science that studies matter on an atomic and molecular scale.
The coordinator, Ernesto Estevez, said at the opening ceremony that the wide use of nanotechnology can be applied in important sectors in Cuba such as healthcare, energy and the environment.
Estevez, who is also the director of the Institute for Science and Technology of Materials of the University of Havana,…
more…
Rob Sequin | Havana Journal
On July 25, 2008 the Medical Board of California granted recognition to the Escuela Latinamericana de Medicina (ELAM) which is the name of the international medical school in Havana Cuba.
ELAM offers its Spanish-language program free of charge to non-citizens who agree to practice medicine in under served areas after graduation. With the Board’s recognition, graduates are now eligible to compete for postgraduate training programs in California and apply for licensure in California. The Board now welcomes graduates of ELAM to consider California for training and practice.
On July 18,2008 Medical Board of California…
more…
ACN
The first phase of the clinical assay for a candidate vaccine to fight hormone-sensitive prostate cancer has been approved by Cuba’s State Pharmaceutical Quality Control Center.
The test reported a safety impact and good therapeutic activity against the second cause of death for men in Cuba, for which another candidate vaccine is also under study in the capital Havana.
Produced by Camaguey´s Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center, the candidate vaccine named Heberprovac was administered on patients, appropriately informed about the pharmaceutical and its activity, at the Maria Curie Provincial Oncology Hospital.
Following the vaccination program, the patients were administered…
more…
View all Havana Journal culture articles in 2009
Didn't find the article you were looking for? You can SEARCH for it.
Study Spanish before you travel to Cuba and Spanish translation information
