WHO alarmed by health turmoil in Cuba

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed alarm Wednesday over Cuba's deteriorating health conditions, attributing the crisis to a U.S. fuel blockade that has worsened the island's energy shortage. The health system disruptions stem from power outages and fuel scarcity that have hampered hospitals' ability to operate effectively. Tedros emphasized that healthcare systems should not become collateral damage in geopolitical disputes, using his statement as a broader call to protect public health infrastructure regardless of political tensions. Cuba has faced mounting shortages across its economy in recent years, and the compounded energy crisis now threatens medical services at a critical time. The WHO chief's public rebuke signals international concern that the humanitarian toll of the blockade extends beyond economic hardship into essential health services.