• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 06 / 19 / 2011

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The national genetics network in Cuba annually carries out more than 30,000 studies to discover congenital diseases, with a high standard of scientific rigor and free of charge, according to a local news report.

The genetic medicine center and 38 laboratories that comprise its network of services nationwide conduct pre-natal and post-natal diagnoses to discover various diseases, according to a report Thursday night on the national news program.

As part of the national motherand child program, this work involves a lot of responsibility, becuause it provides assurance for families that their future babies will be born healthy, said Dr. Luis Alberto Mendez.

Every municipality has at least one genetic advisement specialist with a master's degree, and every province has genetics centers, comprising a national system overseen by the national center.

While elsewhere in the world, this scientific discipline continues to be elitist and privately-run, Cuba has an organized system to which the entire population has access, according to the Cuban television report.

Source: PL