Cuba's Venezuela mission saves many lives.

Some 40,000 Cuban health specialists serving in Venezuela have saved more than 57,000 lives in Venezuela since the beginning of the Barrio Adentro mission in April 2003, claims government news agency ACN.

Dr. Pablo Feal Canizares, deputy director of the Cuban medical brigade in Venezuela, said that over 70% of the population living in remote regions of that South American country have benefited from the program.

Feal Canizares said that the improvement of health indicators is reflected in the decrease of infant and maternal mortality rates. He pointed out that between 1995 and 2005, nearly 1,000 children died every year due to curable infections, diseases and HIV/AIDS.

The Cuban doctor noted that over 256 million medical examinations and 168 million educational activities have been carried out over the last four years in Venezuela as part of the Barrio Adentro mission.

The program involves 6,000 clinics, 388 polyclinics and 492 rehabilitation centers across the country.