Cuba would cooperate with US against Ebola – Castro

Saturday, October 18, 2014 | 12:43 PM    

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) — Cuba stands ready to cooperate with the United States (US) in the battle against Ebola, former leader Fidel Castro said in an article published Saturday.

Cuba is sending about 460 doctors and nurses to West Africa to help fight Ebola, an effort that was praised on Friday by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The US is sending hundreds of soldiers to set up clinics and train health care workers and it also has sent officials from the Centers for Disease Control to help in training.

“With pleasure we will cooperate with US personnel in that task,” the 88-year-old ex-leader wrote in the Communist Party daily Granma. He said it would not be to seek peace between two countries long at odds, but “for the peace of the world.”

Castro did not say what form cooperation might take.

He also noted that Havana plays host on Monday to a meeting of leaders from the ALBA alliance of leftist Latin American nations that is meant to raise more support for the fight against Ebola.

He said such medical cooperation is “the greatest example of solidarity that a human being can offer.”

Jorge Perez, the head of Cuba’s top tropical medicine institute, told The Associated Press on Friday that Cuba is ready to send still more doctors if there is enough funding and infrastructure to support them.

“There are countries that have resources and can send money, but there are also those who can send human resources. It’s not just doctors. We also need nurses, technicians,” he said.

In Washington on Friday, Kerry mentioned Cuba as one of the “nations large and small stepping up in impressive ways to make a contribution on the front lines.”

Perez said that despite the United States’ chilly 55-year relationship with Cuba’s communist government, Kerry’s words were “an important gesture.”

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Cuba would cooperate with US against Ebola – Castro

Mother knew Francis would deliver

EARLIER this month when schoolboy Javon Francis told his mother Violet Palmer that he would try his best to help Jamaica secure a medal at the World Championships in Russia, little did she know that his performance would be one of the ‘most talked about’ in Russia.

However, the 42-year-old mother said she knew that the statement made by the young athlete was not one that should be taken lightly.On Friday, the 18-year-old 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships finalist, who at age 11 was able to save a baby from a fire, produced a performance that is still being described by many track experts as “brilliant, determined and gusty”, to help Jamaica secure a silver in the 4×400-metre relay.The run by the men’s quartet of Rusheen McDonald, Javere Bell, Edino Steele and Francis triggered mass celebrations across the island.In sections of Bull Bay, where the teenager lives, residents could not hide their emotions.Palmer was one of those individuals.“I was at home watching the race on my TV and when I saw him (Francis) get the baton I could not stop jumping and shouting,” Palmer told the Sunday Observer.The mother of five said she was always confident that he would do well based on the conversation she had with him before he departed the island for Moscow.“Before he left he told me that he would do all he could to help his country secure a medal,” said Palmer.She said based on the promise she was not surprised when she saw her son’s vow bearing fruit.Palmer made the disclosure while pointing out that Francis has been doing amazing things from a tender age.“It is from a tender age him making a name for himself. Even when him was 11 years old he was able to save a baby from a fire,” said the mother, who at the time, was not able to give details of the feat.The performance from the men’s quartet came after sprint sensation Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce secured victory in the women’s 200-metres final.Fraser-Pryce, with a blistering time of 22.17 seconds, secured gold ahead of Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure, and Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria.On Friday scores of Jamaicans celebrated in the streets of Half-Way-Tree to mark the performances.“Yuh nuh si seh di girl (Fraser-Pryce) a star,” said George Shaw, as he and others watched the race from outside the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre.“Yuh nuh si seh dem cyaan hol’ her, no matter what dem try,” added Shaw, who was wearing a Jamaican flag as a cape.However, it was Francis’ gutsy anchor leg, which caused much delight among the crowd. The Calabar schoolboy ran a blistering leg and fended off a strong challenge by the Russian runner to finish in a season’s best 2:59.88 minutes behind the United States, who ran a world-leading 2:58.71 minutes.“Trust mi, di youth dem neva win [the gold], but the performance was one of sheer guts and determination; mi proud of them,” said St Catherine resident Georgette Douglas, who was on her way to school, but decided to stop and watch the race.Jamaica’s Javon Francis (right) digs deep into his reserves to fend off the challenge of his Russian rival within shades of the winning post, in the final of the men’s 4X400m relay inside the Luzhniki Stadium, on Friday. (PHOTO: GARFIELD ROBINSON)

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Mother knew Francis would deliver