Cuba - The Country That Dares to Be Wise

In times of crisis there are always those people and those countries that become pioneers. These are the free thinkers, the innovators, the ones that dare to flaunt convention and explore new methods.  History shows us that some of the world’s greatest discoveries have been made this way – initially, the subject of derision and ignorance, it takes a strong person or community to rise above with courage and determination to achieve their vision.

Cuba is one such country. Currently there are more than 300 physicians, 90 pharmacists, 70 dentists, and 100 veterinarians practicing homeopathy, which is studied as a postgraduate diploma course of 300 elective hours. You must be a physician to have a clinical practice. The country is represented in the Liga Medicorum Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI.) In Cuba, homeopathic treatments are an integral part of health care and were incorporated into the National Health System in 1992. Cuba has been, as usual, proactive in its attemps to protect its vulnerable people with homeopathy boost the immunes system, and minimise contagion. Their methodology, reasoning, and outcome so far will be discussed within this article.

At the outset of the Covid-19 epidemic, at the beginning of April 2020, the homeopathic medicine Prevengho-VIR, began to be administered as a measure to confront Covid-19 in central Cuba. Approved by the Center for State Control of Medicines, Equipment and Medical Devices (CECMED), the product is distributed in Consolación del Sur and Plaza de la Revolución municipalities, in the western provinces of Pinar del Rio and Havana, respectively. Diadelis Remirez, chief investigator of CECMED, highlighted the aforementioned medicine has a license and sanitary registry, and its composition is covered by the medical and official pharmacopoeias recognized by Cuba. (Prensa Latina: 09.04.2020)

 ‘Cuba will shortly begin distributing a new medication, PREVENGOVIR, a homeopathic immunological booster, among the island's population to help prevent viral infections like Covid-19 and other common flues, Dr. Francisco Duran, Director of Epidemiology, announced on Sunday. In the daily press briefing on the state of Covid-19 in Cuba, Dr. Duran explained PREVENGOVIR is a sublingual preparation which has first been applied to risk groups in isolation centers, elderly and mother-infant homes, and hospitals caring for positive and suspected Covid-19 patients.’ (Prensa Latino: 05.04.22)

The homeopathic remedies used in the medicine PREVENGOVIR are to be administered in four doses (five drops in a quarter of a glass of water three days in a row, and then, ideally on the tenth day from the start of consumption). They are a combination of:

Anas berberiae 200
Baptisia tinctora 200
Bascilinum 30
Pyrogenum 200
Eupetorium perf 200
Influezinum 200
Arsenicum Album 200

This is not the first time Cuba has used homeopathy for the treatment and prevention of epidemics. PrevengHo®Vir was also rolled out for the Influenza A (H1N1) epidemic while other homeopathic remedies are regularly used in Cuba’s outbreaks of cholera, dengue fever, and leptospirosis (as told in Magic Pills the documentary). The biggest parallel with Covid-19 is the leptospirosis epidemic in 2008, so it is worth covering the specifics here and briefly outlining the disease and the undeniable efficacy and success of the treatment protocol.

In 2007 there was an outbreak of leptospirosis in Cuba due to severe hurricanes. The CDC describes Leptospirosis as: ‘A bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira. In humans it causes a wide range of symptoms, and some infected persons may have no symptoms at all. Symptoms of leptospirosis include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting, and may include jaundice (yellow skin and eyes), red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or a rash. If the disease is not treated, the patient could develop kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, and respiratory distress.’ Until Aug 2007, the Finlay Institute (a part of the Ministry of Public Health, Cuba) had been distributing its own conventional Leptospirosis vaccination. At this time however, there was only enough vaccine for 1% of the population and the vaccine would require two separate dosages to incur immunity. For this reason, and having no choice, they decided to do a homeopathic intervention, whereby they distributed a homeopathic remedy (the leptospirosis nosode -2 single doses about 2 weeks apart.) Included in the dose was the were also some Bach flower remedies to address the mental distress of the catastrophic situation. The project was conducted under the guidance of its director-general, Dra. Conception Campa Huergo and Dr. Gustavo Bracho of Carlos J Finlay Institute, to two and a half million people. Cases of leptospirosis increased by 27% on the island, apart from in the 3 intervened provinces, where rates of infection reduced by 84% The epidemic was halted within two weeks and the levels of this disease dropped far below the historical averages for years afterwards. The report concluded: ‘The homeoprophylactic approach was associated with a large reduction of disease incidence and control of the epidemic. The results suggest the use of HP as a feasible tool for epidemic control, further research is warranted. (Homeopathy: 2010) This was an historic and significant outcome, the results of which have paved the way for the Covid-19 initiative.

Some may criticise the non-classical approach to treatment, but it has worked historically for Cuba in similar circumstances. I recently discussed with a colleague, that the pure constitutional approach, although invariably optimum for individual cases, just couldn’t work here; the prescription of the single remedy following lengthy, individual consultation, is impossible in this situation, with the vast numbers involved. I have been told that the team of homeopaths involved are of the highest calibre in terms of experience and education. Also, what is highly significant is their familiarity with Cuba, its people, their unique circumstances and the homeopaths overwhelming commitment to the end goal, that of saving lives; these are undeniably some of the key tenets of The Organon - knowing what has to be cured, and the particular circumstances surrounding the  presenting conditions. This is being done now in capable, proficient, experienced hands, which can only be admired. Kudos and respect to all involved.

To conclude and put Cuba’s prophylactic approach to Covid-19 into perspective, with an essential comparison to other countries, as of today’s, date (May 5th 2020) the US reports 3,668 per million cases per million of the population, with a total of 211 deaths per million of the population. Canada 1,610 cases per million of population with a total of 102 deaths per million of the population, Cuba reports 147 cases per million of population, with a total of 6 deaths, per million of the population. India (which used homeopathy as a widespread prevention measure) still impresses with 35 cases per million of the population with a total of 1 death per million of the population. (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/)

These global statistics are fundamental to the discussion here, where the data so far supports the homeoprophylactic approach Both Cuba and India have comparatively low case occurrence and low death rate in contrast to other highly developed and affluent countries, who have not adopted this approach.  The common denominator here? Countries that dare to flaunt convention and use their extended, diverse medical knowledge for the good of their population and moreover, save thousands of lives. My thoughts? Commendable, in every way. Aude Sapere.

References

Homeopathy. 2010 Jul;99(3):156-66. doi: 10.1016/j.homp.2010.05.009.

Large-scale application of highly-diluted bacteria for Leptospirosis epidemic control. [on-line] Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20674839

Prensa Latino 05.04.20: Cuba will distribute PREVENGOVIR, new medication to prevent Covid-19 [on-line] Available at:  https://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=54250&SEO=cuba-will-distribute-prevengovir-new-medication-to-prevent-covid-19

Prensa Latino 09.04.20Cuba advances on applying homeopathic med in face of Covid-19 [on-line] Available at:  https://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=54402&SEO=cuba-advances-on-applying-homeopathic-med-in-face-of-covid-19-photos