The United States has cautioned countries around the world, including Kenya, against engaging in medical cooperation agreements with Cuba, claiming that the island nation is exploiting its healthcare professionals under the guise of international aid.
In a statement released on Monday, April 7, the US Department of State strongly condemned the Cuban government’s medical mission programme, terming it exploitative and a violation of human rights.
According to Washington, the programme—which has seen Cuban doctors deployed to countries like Kenya—is not a gesture of humanitarian support but a system of forced labour benefiting the Cuban regime financially.
The statement accused Havana of confiscating up to ninety-five per cent of the salaries paid to its medical personnel abroad, limiting their freedom of movement, and intimidating those who attempt to leave the missions.
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“These so-called medical missions are not charitable efforts—they are coercive programmes that show evidence of forced labour. The Cuban authorities seize most of the wages, impose movement restrictions, and threaten doctors who try to exit,” the statement read in part.
This is not the first time the US has voiced concerns over Cuba’s health diplomacy. On March 27, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly criticised the programme, alleging that it operates like a human trafficking network. He warned that individuals facilitating the missions could face visa restrictions unless they adhere to international labour standards.
Kenya’s involvement in the programme has also drawn attention. In 2017, then-President Uhuru Kenyatta signed an agreement with the Cuban government that led to the recruitment of 100 Cuban doctors. The move sparked intense opposition from the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and some lawmakers, who argued that the funds spent on foreign personnel should have been used to employ local medics.
Despite the outcry, the Cuban doctors were deployed across public hospitals in Kenya. However, in October 2023, the deal came to an end after President William Ruto’s administration opted not to renew the six-year arrangement. Former Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha confirmed the termination.
The US has reiterated its stance, urging countries to reconsider ties with the Cuban medical mission framework, which it claims prioritises political and economic gain over the rights and welfare of healthcare professionals.
