MADRE Programs in Cuba

MADRE and the Cuban Red Cross

MADRE works with the Cuban Red Cross to deliver life-saving medicines and medical supplies to combat AIDS, breast cancer, pediatric diseases and other threats to public health in Cuba.

MADRE's Medical Project is an outgrowth of the US-Cuba Medical project, which worked to alleviate the shortages caused by the on-going US embargo.

MADRE's past shipments to the Cuban Red Cross have included:

• $744,000 dollars worth of anti-parasite medicine for women and families affected by Hurricane Dennis.
• $700,000 of breast cancer medicine purchased through the Share Hope campaign.
• Over $385,000 of urgently-needed HIV medicines, distributed by the National AIDS Prevention Center to Cubans living with AIDS.
• Thousands of pairs of prescription glasses.
• Regular donations of aspirin, acetaminophen, prenatal and children's vitamins and other essential over-the-counter medicines delivered by MADRE delegates.

MADRE and the Federation of Cuban Women

Both MADRE and the FMC have consultative status at the UN and have collaborated in the international arena to call for an end to the US embargo, which denies Cubans access to essential medicines and food.

MADRE delegations, which were halted in Summer 2004 due to the Bush Administration's tightening of travel regulations, regularly met with the FMC to learn about the situation in Cuba. These meetings facilitated the cross-cultural exchange and direct person-to-person contact that is essential to increasing understanding between the two countries.