Ali Jafarian, senior advisor to the health minister, and Tania Margarita Cruz Hernandez, Cuba’s Acting Minister of Public Health, discussed expanding medical and scientific ties between the two countries, with a focus on boosting cooperation in vaccine production and the biotechnology sector.
The Wednesday meeting was centred around following up on formerly reached agreements between Iran and Cuba, promoting scientific and technical collaborations with the Pasteur Institute in order to transfer pneumococcal vaccine production technology from the Finlay Institute of Vaccines, The Caspian Post reports citing Iranian media.
The officials also discussed potential capacities for manufacturing the vaccine.
Moreover, Jafarian held meetings with other Cuban officials such as deputy minister of foreign affairs, the deputy minister of foreign trade and investment, the head and director general of Cuba’s Center for State Control of Medicines and Medical Devices (CECMED), the directors of the Finlay Institute of Vaccines, the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), the Group of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries in Cuba, BioCubaFarma, the Cuban Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM), as well as the largest hospital in Cuba, Hermanos Ameijeiras.
Medical ties between Iran and Cuba date back more than three decades, and the first cooperation between the two countries began with the transfer of technology for manufacturing hepatitis B vaccine from Cuba’s CIGB to the Pasteur Institute of Iran.
In recent years, the two countries successfully developed a Covid-19 vaccine (PastoCovac), and the process of transferring technology for the pneumococcal vaccine is currently underway.
The Iran-Cuba Joint Commission is chaired by Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and the 19th meeting of this commission is scheduled to be held in Cuba in the near future.
Joint biotechnology, vaccine production projects
In May, Cuban Ambassador to Tehran, Jorge Fernando Nicolás, in a meeting with Alireza Biglari, the Iranian deputy health minister for international affairs, discussed ways to follow up on joint projects, especially in biotechnology and vaccine production projects.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of Iran Expo 2025, the seventh Exhibition of Export Capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which was held from April 28 to May 2 at Tehran’s International Permanent Fairgrounds.
A delegation of Cuban officials, headed by the Ambassador, also met representatives of the Pasteur Institute of Iran, the Food and Drug Organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Trade Promotion Organization.
Referring to the successful experience of cooperation between Iran and Cuba, Biglari termed these relations as a successful model in international scientific interactions.
Cuba is one of the countries in Latin America with the highest level of cooperation with Iran in different fields, including the health sector, Jafarian said in January.
“Thanks to advanced technologies in Cuba, the two countries have benefited from collaborative partnerships in the health sector, such as developing Hepatitis and PastoCovac vaccines,” IRNA quoted Jafarian as saying.
During the meeting, Mohammad-Hossein Niknam, the former deputy health minister for international affairs, highlighted that following the 10-year agreement reached last year, the joint meeting has gained more importance, particularly in economic and political sectors.
“So far, besides the main document, seven other documents related to organizations have been finalized, and four more documents are being reviewed. Also, a list of joint projects in the health sector has been prepared.”
During the meeting, the representatives of the stakeholder organizations and bodies presented their opinions and considerations about their own documents.
The participants also emphasized the importance of following up on the agreements reached by the private sector during the Havana International Exhibition in 2024.
The exchange of business delegations, the development of financial models to meet the Cuban markets’ needs, and the opening of a credit line for the private sector’s activities were among other issues that were emphasized.
