WIPO Awards for Cuban Innovators

A research team from the National Scientific Research Center (CNIC) was awarded a WIPO medal for their invention of the Diramic system, a method, kit and equipment used for the rapid micro-biological diagnosis of urinary tract infections. By measuring changes in turbidity in urine samples caused by microbial growth, Diramic determines within four hours the pattern of susceptibility to antibiotics, so offering a fast and economical diagnostic method. The equipment is coupled to a computer which generates the diagnostic reports. The system was introduced into the Cuban National Health System five years ago and has been used in the care of some 200,000 patients. Laboratories in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela have also started to use the system, under license from the CNIC.

Life saver for premature babies

The second award went to a research team from the National Agricultural Health Center (CENSA) for Surfacen, a natural surfactant product derived from animal tissue, developed under the Ministry of Public Health's drug program for early childhood care. Surfacen is used to treat infant respiratory distress syndrome, a frequent cause of death in premature babies. Surfactants, which are produced naturally in the lungs, are essential to the lungs' ability to absorb oxygen and to maintain the airflow through the respiratory system. Premature babies born before 32 weeks do not produce enough natural surfactant to inflate their lungs, and they die without treatment. Since coming into clinical use in Cuba in 1995, Surfacen has made a major contribution in improving infant mortality rate, one of the most representative health indicators of Cuban society.

Surfacen is patented in Cuba, Spain, Chile, Mexico and Argentina, and is in clinical use in Colombia, Guatemala, Chile and Mexico.

Innovative enterprise

The Cuban government also uses the WIPO award scheme to publicize the strategic use...