HEALTH MINISTER, John Junor, has welcomed Cuban president Fidel Castro's offer to double the number of health workers stationed in Caribbean countries to help fight HIV/AIDS.
Currently there are about 1,000 such health workers.
While he admitted to not knowing the details of the proposal, Minister Junor said he was very glad for any proposal which would boost health personnel.
"I gather from the briefing with the Prime Minister that the CARICOM Government has asked (St. Kitts and Nevis) Prime Minister Denzil Douglas who speaks on health matters for CARICOM to explore the offer. Certainly anything that adds to the capacity of the Caribbean to increase our cadre of health workers is something most welcome because it's an area where clearly there is the need and where we have challenges with respect to the training facilities and personnel, "Mr. Junor said.
Speaking at a weekend summit with CARICOM leaders in Havana, President Castro said in light of the high cost of fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region, some countries will not have the resources required to do so.
The Cuban president said the health workers being sent to the CARICOM countries would be paid by his government.
Earlier he praised Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago for helping Cuba break its hemispheric isolation by establishing diplomatic relations on this day in 1972, despite opposition from the United States.
"This courageous decision adopted by small, newly independent countries in a hostile environment, was a fundamental step in breaking the diplomatic and commercial blockade of Cuba in the region," President Castro said.
The president of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, speaking on behalf of CARICOM members, criticised the four-decade-old economic sanctions against Cuba, and urged normalisation of relations between Washington and Havana.
"The trade embargo imposed by the United States is an anachronism in this era of globalization and trade liberalisation and should be removed," said president Jagdeo, whose country currently heads the group.
President Jagdeo thanked Cuba for scientific and medical assistance to its Caribbean neighbours.
CARICOM leaders discussed economic integration with Cuba and the prospects of increasing trade, which currently only amounts to $120 million per year.
Cuba has sought to join CARICOM, but so far has only been admitted as an observer.
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti, CARICOM's newest member as of July, also attended the summit.
Approximately 440,000 persons are living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. There were 60,000 new infections in 2002 and 50 per cent of HIV cases are women. About 21,000 persons in Jamaica are estimated to be infected with HIV/AIDS.
