Neighbours help Havana residents find scarce medicines
薬不足のハバナで、住民同士が支え合うほっこり
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Finding basic medicines has become a daily challenge for many people in Cuba. In Havana, a community project offers practical help by distributing donated supplies without charging patients. Laura Mendoza runs the initiative from her apartment, where residents request medicines through WhatsApp before collecting them at arranged times during the week.
The project works with the Catholic charity Caritas and receives donations from overseas humanitarian groups, travellers and local residents. Volunteers sometimes take supplies to people who cannot collect them. These networks help fill gaps in the state pharmacy system, but they cannot meet every need. Refrigerated medicines and cancer treatments remain especially difficult to obtain.
Cuba has introduced rules allowing private pharmacies as part of wider economic reforms. Officials hope these businesses will bring in additional supplies, while state pharmacies continue operating. Yet availability is only one concern: patients also worry about prices. For now, free community distribution provides support to neighbours who might otherwise struggle to afford essential medicine.