HAVANA, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cuba aims to boost health tourism and promote trade with foreign companies in order to continue modernizing its health system, authorities of the sector said on Thursday.
In a press conference to present the XIV Trade Fair "Health for All" to be held in Havana in April of next year, Iliana Morales, executive secretary of the event, said the forum provides the "perfect agenda" to exchange on current and future challenges for public health.
"This important event will serve as an appropriate framework for specialized national and foreign firms as well as health companies, laboratories and universities to expose their products and technologies as well as commercial meetings to reach business deals," she said.
The fair will be part of the Cuba Salud 2018 International Convention, which is sponsored by some national and international organizations to discuss health related issues in Cuba and the rest of the world.
According to the organizers, important figures from the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization, as well as official delegations from more than 15 countries headed by their respective ministers will attend the event.
In this event, Cuba hopes to surpass the 3,000 participants in the last edition of the event in 2015.
It seeks to boost health tourism that has seen big growth in recent years and is expected to contribute millions of dollars to the island's economy.
"We have multidisciplinary teams made up of doctors, nurses, technicians, engineers, technologists and psychologists of extraordinary preparation and experience distinguished by the human treatment of each patient," said Miladys Orraca, director of the Cuban Medical Services Corporation.
The organizers said 51 international companies have confirmed their presence.
