U.S. Policy Causes Cuba’s Blackouts. U.S. Citizens Bring Solar Panels for Pregnant Women

Since the 1960s, women and children have been a priority for Cuba’s universal public health system. Today, 131 maternal homes offer free specialized care for women with high-risk pregnancies. Yet not even expectant mothers can escape the U.S. oil blockade. “We are afraid that the patients might fall, or that an emergency might happen and we don’t have lighting to handle the situation,” said Niurka Casanova Martínez, a nurse at a maternal home in Alamar, East Havana municipality. As tighter sanctions and the oil blockade take their toll on health in Cuba — contributing to dramatically higher infant mortality — MEDICC has launched the Light for Life campaign. With donations from around the world, self-employed Cuban engineers are installing solar panels on Cuban maternal homes, putting solar to work for the health of these expectant mothers and their newborns. For more information, see www.medicc.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support independent journalism from Cuba by subscribing to our newsletter, joining our Patreon, or making a tax-deductible donation below. •Patreon: / bellyofthebeastcuba •Donate: https://www.bellyofthebeastcuba.com/h... •Newsletter: https://www.bellyofthebeastcuba.com/s... •Website: https://www.bellyofthebeastcuba.com/ •Instagram: / bellyofthebeastcuba •Facebook: / bellyofthebeastcuba •TikTok: / bellyofthebeastcuba •X / Twitter: https://x.com/bellybeastcuba •Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bellyofthebe... •WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb9o... •Telegram: https://t.me/bellyofthebeastcuba #cuba #fuelshortage #embarazo #embargo