HAVANA-Cuba and  the United States signed on Thursday a historic memo of understanding to cooperate in Cancer control. The document, which was penned in Havana by Cuban Health Minister Roberto Morales and by US Secretary of Health Sylvia Burwell, establishes joint actions in the control, research, surveillance and evaluation of Cancer, a disease currently affecting millions of people in the world and a major cause of death both in Cuba and the United States.

The MOU aims at the implementation of collaborations projects and technical meetings to exchange information and good practices in the fight on Cancer. Upon signing the MOU, the US Health Secretary said that they wish to keep boosting this kind of alliance already established between the two health ministries, particularly in the fight on Cancer. She said they are very interested in the joint work with Cuba.  Meanwhile, the Cuban Health Minister said that the signing of the document is an important action following a previous MOU signed in Washington between the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Cuban Health Ministry, which ratifies the will of both sides to advance bilateral health cooperation.

In The Americas, Cancer is the second major cause of death, estimates say that 2.8 million people are diagnosed with Cancer every year, while 1.3 million patients die from Cancer. In Cuba, malign tumors have become the second major cause of death, with a prevalence of about 40 thousand cases annually. (Source: ACN)…[+]